Joy-Ann Reid. Illustration: Lauren Tamaki Joy-Ann Reid is the host of MSNBC’s AM Joy, a weekend morning talk show about politics that averages almost 1 million weekly viewers. In addition to her TV work, she hosts a podcast and has written several books, including a history of the contemporary Democratic party, Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons, and the Racial Divide.
On the weekends I have to be up early because I need to be in the office by 7:30 a.m. to start preparing for the show, which starts at 10 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays are my actual weekend. I’m the only person who looks forward to Monday! On those days, I try to sleep in until 10 a.m. if possible. And then I get up and see what’s going on. I am addicted to checking social media and refreshing the Washington Post to see what the government has done today.
Thursday is sort of my hell day because I do my podcast in addition to my normal work. And more often than not I’m doing some nighttime TV, either guest-hosting or appearing as a guest. My nights tend to go really late.I would love to be in the business of telling people the good and the bad that’s happening. But right now, we’re usually telling you the bad and the scary. With such acute anxiety around our politics, I will admit it’s stressful.
I have a pretty thick skin. When I’m getting a stream of attacks, it usually comes in a wave, so I’ll just get off social media for a few hours and they get tired and bored and go away. I used to attack a troll here and there, but then I realized it’s not worth it. You’re just elevating them. So my policy now is just ignore. Operation Ignore. Let them scream into the void.
JoyAnnReid The fact that this woman thinks what she’s doing is “news” speaks to the root of the problem.
JoyAnnReid We probably wouldn't have so much anxiety surrounding politics if people like Joy would report true information instead of fabricate narratives.