Headline Roundup • November 27th, 2024
MSNBC 'Unaware' Harris Donated $500K to Al Sharpton Nonprofit Ahead of TV Interview
Summary from the AllSides News Team
National Action Network, a nonprofit run by Al Sharpton of MSNBC (Left bias), received $500,000 from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign shortly before Sharpton's October 20 interview with her for the network.
The Details: MSNBC claimed it was unaware of the payments and has refrained from commenting on whether repercussions may follow for Sharpton. FEC filings show the money was sent in two separate $250,000 donations on September 5 and October 1. The Washngton Free Beacon (Right bias), which broke the story, reported that MSNBC ignored the allegations until the Society of Professional Journalists remarked on the payments being a “black eye” for the network. The National Action Network's work focuses on civil rights.
For Context: MSNBC suspended both Keith Olbermann and ‘Morning Joe’ host Joe Scarborough for political donations in 2010.
Key Quotes: The Society of Professional Journalists said, “When TV news broadcasters do not report their conflicts of interest, or conduct their work in ways that run counter to ethical journalism, it builds distrust among their audiences and places a black eye on both their network and the profession.” An MSNBC spokesperson said, "MSNBC was unaware of the donations made to the National Action Network."
How the Media Covered It: The story was widely covered by the right, but AllSides only found left coverage from Raw Story (Left bias) and Mediaite (Lean Left bias). Fox News (Right bias) included context on MSNBC's struggling ratings since the election.
Featured Coverage of this Story
MSNBC told the Washington Free Beacon’s Chuck Ross for a report on Tuesday that the network was “unaware” that Rev. Al Shaprton’s non-profit organization had received $500,000 in donations from Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, during the same time period he interviewed her on the network.
“MSNBC was unaware of the donations made to the National Action Network,” the MSNBC spokesman told Ross some two weeks after the donation was first reported. Sharpton also did not disclose the donations to network executives, according to the spokesman.
MSNBC screenshot
MSNBC admitted it was "unaware" that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign paid $500,000 to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network nonprofit ahead of a friendly interview with the Democratic nominee ahead of Election Day.
Harris sat down for a friendly interview on Oct. 20 with MSNBC’s Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. Following Harris’ loss to President-elect Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit organization in September and October – but the MSNBC host did not inform viewers of the contributions or the conflict of...
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