2024: Newsrooms across the country experienced a surge in liberal activism.

At legacy media organizations, progressive staffers are increasingly challenging their employers over editorial positions that do not align with their own beliefs.

In recent years, notable conflicts have emerged, such as the social media uprising by New York Times staff members in response to the controversial Tom Cotton op-ed in 2020 and the open assaults by CNN employees against the network's Trump town hall in 2023.

In 2024, multiple news outlets experienced significant backlash from their newsrooms.

NBC's hiring (and firing) of Ronna McDaniel

In March, Ronna McDaniel was hired as a contributor by NBC News, which sparked a controversy among its own staff members, resulting in a firestorm of criticism.

For years, major news organizations have hired ex-lawmakers, government officials, and political insiders without controversy. However, a group of NBC talent, mainly from MSNBC's liberal cable arm, publicly condemned the hiring of McDaniel, accusing her of attempting to prevent the certification of Michigan's election results in 2020.

"According to MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, if asked for their opinion on the hiring of Ms. McDaniel, they would have strongly opposed it due to several reasons, including her involvement in Donald Trump's fake elector scheme and her pressure on election officials to not certify election results while Trump was on the phone."

MSNBC's top anchor, Rachel Maddow, criticized NBC's "incomprehensible" choice to hire McDaniel and expressed hope that the network would reconsider its decision.

Several liberal network talent, including Chuck Todd, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, and Jen Psaki, criticized the move. Todd famously expressed his anger on "Meet the Press" after colleague Kristen Welker interviewed McDaniel, which was her only appearance as a contributor.

"I believe our bosses should apologize to you for putting you in this situation because I am unsure what to believe," he stated.

Four days after NBC News announced McDaniel's employment, she was let go.

"NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde informed staff in a memo that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor after listening to the legitimate concerns of many."

McDaniel's hiring had undermined the goal of a "cohesive and aligned" newsroom, and Condie offered an apology to his staff.

""I take full responsibility for the collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, which I approved and led to our team members feeling let down," Conde wrote."

CBS News' internal uproar over the Dokoupil-Coates interview

In October, the left-wing staff at CBS News criticized "CBS Mornings" co-host Tony Dokoupil for his interview with progressive author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Coates, whose new book "The Message" is critical of Israel and has been rebuked by its defenders for its shallow analysis of a complex conflict, was grilled by Dokoupil, who is Jewish and has children living in Israel.

"Dokoupil questioned Coates about a section of his trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, asking him why he left out so much and what specifically offended him about the existence of a Jewish state that serves as a safe haven for Jews."

According to the Free Press, CBS leadership informed offended staff members that after a review, the interview did not meet the company's "editorial standards." The audio of the staff meeting was obtained by the Free Press.

Dokoupil was not punished for the interview, but he had to meet with the Race and Culture Unit after complaints. The New York Times reported that the conversation centered on Dokoupil's tone, phrasing, and body language during the interview.

According to the New York Post, Dokoupil apologized to his colleagues at a meeting, causing some to cry and become upset.

Some have defended Dokoupil, including CBS News legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who spoke up for him during a network conference call, and Shari Redstone, chair of CBS News' parent company Paramount Global, who called the network's handling of Dokoupil a "mistake." CBS CEO George Cheeks issued a memo supporting the news network's leadership.

LA Times and Washington Post implode over non-endorsements

Prominent newspapers in the country have stopped endorsing presidential candidates after decades of practice.

The Los Angeles Times started a movement with a decision made by its owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, to not endorse any candidate in the 2024 race. This led to a series of resignations, including those of Times editorials editor Mariel Garza and editorial board members Robert Greene and Karin Klein, who were upset that they couldn't formally support Vice President Kamala Harris.

In December, Harry Litman resigned from his position as a Times columnist, citing the paper's "shameful capitulation" to Trump after Soon-Shiong attempted to moderate the paper by bringing aboard conservative commentator Scott Jennings to its revamped editorial board.

The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, stopped making endorsements in presidential races, including its planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, after the Times made a similar announcement. This marks the first time since 1976 that the Post has not endorsed a Democrat in a presidential election.

The decision to move sparked an avalanche of outrage from the Post's union and its prominent columnists, who signed an open letter denouncing the paper's decision. Several editorial board members stepped down, and the Post's editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned.

The Post's liberal readers sparked a boycott movement after the paper reportedly suffered internal bleeding and lost 250,000 paid subscribers, resulting in a projected loss of $77 million this year.

An op-ed defending the decision was written by Bezos, who cited increasing media mistrust as the reason.

"To be accurate and believed as such is crucial, but we are falling short on the second requirement. The majority of people believe the media is biased, and those who deny this are ignoring reality. Reality is an unbeatable force, and we cannot blame others for our decline in credibility. A victim mentality will not help, and complaining is not a solution. We must take control of what we can to increase our credibility."

"Although not enough to significantly increase trust, refusing to endorse presidential candidates is a step in the right direction. I regret not making the change earlier, during a time less emotionally charged. This was due to inadequate planning, not a deliberate strategy," Bezos later admitted.