After 25 Years, There’s a Reason MSNBC Can’t Look Back

On July 12, 2021, a photo of Rachel Maddow was posted to the “Community” tab of MSNBC’s YouTube account. The accompanying text read:

To mark MSNBC’s 25th anniversary, MSNBC Daily will feature 25 days of forward-looking essays on important issues from MSNBC anchors, hosts and correspondents. Today, Rachel Maddow writes about the future of election integrity.

Unlike Democracy Now!, which also just celebrated 25 years, or Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, which just reached 35 years, MSNBC isn’t commemorating with any looks back to its founding, or to its history as an outlet for journalism.

This choice might be because for much of its history, MSNBC wasn’t...