A popular PBS NewsHour program called Politics Monday just vanished, leaving some viewers to wonder if the weekly feature will be canceled. The Robert MacNeil Report, known initially as The NewsHour, has been a mainstay of the US political commentary landscape since the middle of the 1970s.
The weekly Politics Monday part has established itself as a distinctive component of the program for many people across the country. The program has evolved into NewsHour as we know it today in the more than 40 years that have passed.
However, Politics Monday has not yet been featured on NewsHour in 2023, as many angry viewers have noted online, and co-host Tamara Keith doesn’t seem to know much more about its future than we do.
What Transpired on Monday With PBS Politics?
When a user of the PBS NewsHour Reddit page noted that the piece had not aired for the second week in a row, discussion about Politics Monday’s absence online really got going.
The hosts, Tamara Keith and Amy Walter were last on the air on Monday, December 26, 2022, between Christmas and New Year’s, when Keith talked about the likely 2024 presidential contenders.
“PBS! Don’t stop Politics Monday with Amy and Tam!” Pleaded one Politics Monday fan on reddit, as another added urged others to: “Write to PBS NewsHour and express our support for the valuable contribution that these women’s voices make to our news week”.
Walter and Keith discuss various political issues on Monday, ranging from Joe Biden’s chances for reelection to Kanye West’s turbulent relationship with Donald Trump.
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Host Tamara Keith Confirms Segment is ‘on a Pause’
Politics Monday won’t be starting anytime soon, which is unfortunate for those expecting a quick return. Keith has made clear to her viewers what will happen with the section.
Keith first updated her followers on Wednesday, January 3, having been asked why the show had not featured the previous evening, confirming that “the folks at NewsHour told us (Keith and Walter) the segment Politics Monday segment is on a pause.”
Keith went on to further clarify her comments on Wednesday, January 11, writing: “Sharing this here because my mentions are full of questions about what happened to Politics Monday on the PBS NewsHour.”
Sharing this here because my mentions are full of questions about what happened to Politics Monday on the PBS NewsHour. I don’t have a lot of answers. I’ll just say, the 7+ years I got to be part of the Politics Monday team with @amyewalter and the @NewsHour family were a gift. pic.twitter.com/UGXGaQPJel
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) January 11, 2023
“I don’t have a lot of answers. I’ll just say, the 7+ years I got to be part of the Politics Monday team with @amyewalter and the @NewsHour family were a gift.”
PBS Viewers React Positively to the Monday Update on Politics
Many of Politics Monday’s fans have expressed their displeasure on Twitter at the possibility that the show would soon be canceled.
Replying to Keith’s update, one viewer wrote: “I am very upset about this terrible decision! You are both missed very much!!”
https://twitter.com/hopefulRNinWA/status/1612648722906902531
Despite the apparent online backlash, there have been no more updates from PBS, and it seems like NewsHours viewers may have to adjust to life without Politics Monday for the foreseeable future.
