MSNBC Hires Scott Matthews as SVP of Newsgathering
Matthews comes to the job after most recently serving as vice president and news director at WABC-TV where he directed the Eyewitness News team and oversaw the organization's streaming and digital products. He previously served as the vice president of news specials at CNBC from 2011 through 2019, where he led special programming, including breaking news and special events and CNBC's Investigative Unit.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Inside MSNBC's 'The Weekend' Reboot
Joy Reid Says Black Women "Are Living at a Time of Theft" at Essence Awards Days After MSNBC Dismissal
MSNBC Layoffs Set to Impact 99 Union Staffers, Guild Claims
Matthews starts at MSNBC on March 17 and will report to MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler.
At MSNBC, Matthews will be in charge of building out and running the editorial and production newsgathering operation for MSNBC, establishing a new assignment desk, manage daily and breaking news coverage and more.
Matthews is planning to hire more than 100 journalists including field producers, correspondents, photographers, and more. Comcast is preparing to spin off MSNBC, among other properties, while NBC News remains with the parent company, making it necessary for MSNBC to build out more of its newsgathering operations.
Kutler also plans to establish an MSNBC bureau in Washington D.C., and hire domestic and international correspondents there, as well as a head of talent and content strategy. As previously announced, MSNBC hired Politico's Eugene Daniels as a senior Washington correspondent and co-host of The Weekend and The Washington Post's Jackie Alemany, who will be a correspondent and a co-host of the Weekend.
Matthews also previously served as the director of programming for CNN Productions, where he was in charge of the documentary series CNN Presents and CNN's Special Investigations Unit. He also worked as vice president and news director at WNYW-TV and WWOR-TV in New York City, WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, and WFXT-TV in Boston, and as executive producer for investigative reporting at WNYW-TV in New York and KNXV-TV in Phoenix.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started
Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023
Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection celebrates historic Black beach community
Cricket sweaters, patchwork blanket, and distressed baseball caps. Each is part of the new collection called Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, celebrating the historically Black community of Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The collection is an evolution of the 2022 collection based on Historically Black Colleges Morehouse and Spelman, who are again partners in the Oak Bluffs collection, and is a part of the company's "Design with Intent" portfolio. "Ralph Lauren as a man, as a brand is sort of the world ambassador to Americana," James Jeter, Creative Director for Polo Men's at Ralph Lauren told USA TODAY. "With that comes this incredible responsibility for us to tell these incredible American stories as fully, as broadly, as accurately as possible." The collection deftly weaves HBCU campus style drawn from Morehouse and Spelman with resort wear that references the historic Black beach town and Black traditions. "It was just very important to tell that story, the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional experience that is the Black experience that also translates into the American experience," Dara Douglas, Product and Brand Lead for Design with Intent, told USA TODAY. It is accompanied by a documentary on the community directed by Cole Brown titled "A Portrait of the American Dream: Oak Bluffs" that debuted on the brand's YouTube page on July 24. "Oak Bluffs' unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire me and speak to what we are all searching for – a place where you can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home," Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the eponymous preppy stalwart, said in a July 23 press release. Oak Bluffs was once a part of nearby Edgartown and was deemed to be the place "suitable" for Black workers at nearby resorts, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Oak Bluffs community envisioned by the collection started in earnest when Charles Shearer opened Shearer Cottage in 1912, according to The Root. The Black news outlet described the inn as, "an act of defiance in an America riddled with discrimination and racial segregation, where safe lodging for Black travelers was a rare luxury." "So by default really, Oak Bluffs becomes the place ... for young, educated, affluent African Americans—the politicians and the movie stars." Dr. Elaine Weintraub, historian and co-founder of the Martha's Vineyard African American Heritage Trail, told the Trust. At the heart of Oak Bluffs, according to the Root, is a beach called the Inkwell that served as a place where, "Black folks could swim, sunbathe, and just be, without getting side-eyed or harassed." Weintraub described vacationers to the Inkwell, Shearer Cottage, and Oak Bluffs throughout the decades as a "who's who" including Madame C.J. Walker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., actress Ethel Waters, and singer Lionel Richie. "Well, I think perhaps I should say what you I think are aware of. Our people are deeply mystical, you might say spiritual and we have a an appreciation for place," Dr. Lawrence E. Carter Sr., the Dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, said in the documentary. "How Martha's Vineyard became Martha's Vineyard has an awful lot to do with traffic, who came through here and by coming through here bequeathed something." Dorothy West, the youngest member of the Harlem Renaissance, said of Oak Bluffs, "I thought there was always summer here" in an interview published by the Martha's Vineyard Museum Oral History Channel. "I think historically it has represented a place where African Americans could be successful, could be around other African-Americans, could share in a culture and a place in the sun and that they'll own and that they'll belong," Weintraub said. Oak Bluffs still holds that same significance today. Netflix's show "Forever", released in March, showcased this on an episode titled "The Vineyard", allowing viewers to see the vibrance and richness that still exists in Oak Bluffs. The 2022 collection was described by Jeter as a "period piece" that drew from the ephemera of Morehouse and Spelman, of which Jeter and Douglas are alumni, from 1920's to the 1960's. "You'll notice that there's this kind of decorum (in the 2022 collection). We leaned a little bit into politics of respectability, which really started such an incredible conversation," Jeter said. He added that imagery for the collection's campaign was "intentionally less serious" and leaned into a multi-generational interpretation of summers on the shore. "Quite frequently people think of the output that comes from the Black experience, whether it's through entertainment, through sports. So you constantly see the Black body in motion, but this notion of rest and relaxation as a space that the black body could occupy I think is quite revolutionary," Douglas said. The collection comes as companies have backed away from concepts labeled DEI following pressure from the Trump administration and other right-wing forces. Jeter and Douglas both pointed to the collection as a part of the company's commitment to widening the brand's view of what is included in "Americana," with James saying "we intended to stick to that."


NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
CEOs globally brace for tariff turmoil with a new game plan
Trade tensions are rising, forcing top executives to rewrite the rulebook on how their companies operate, where they invest and what customers buy. In interviews with CNBC this earnings season, CEOs across industries — from aluminum and aerospace to chocolate, banking, telecoms, and energy — sent a clear message: tariffs are no longer just a political tactic. As trade rules grow more uncertain and tariffs resurface in policy discussions, business leaders say they're rethinking everything from where factories are located to how products are priced. The old 'just in time' model is giving way to something more cautious: make goods closer to the buyer, ask for exemptions where possible, and stay alert to shifting consumer habits. This earnings season has been marked by currency swings, inflation, and political uncertainty. And in that environment, tariffs are no longer background noise. They're front and center in how companies are managing risk. For many in the C-suite, the threat isn't just about short-term costs — it's about staying competitive for the long haul. Build local, think political 'We are concerned about the competitiveness of aluminum compared to other materials,' Hydro Chief Financial Officer Trond Olaf Christophersen told CNBC earlier this week. The company is already passing U.S. tariff costs onto customers. But the deeper worry is how, 'some customers in packaging are already testing steel and plastic alternatives. That's the long game we're watching.' For Christophersen, it's not just a quarterly issue — it's a warning sign. And Hydro's concern reflects a broader shift: tariffs are speeding up lasting changes in how companies do business. One of the most common responses is moving production closer to customers. Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm told CNBC the company's North American factory, opened in 2020, was a forward-looking move. 'We've had that 'Made in America' stamp for some time,' he said. The facility now helps protect the company from shifting global politics. Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson is also focused on the U.S. 'We want to fill our factory in South Carolina,' he told CNBC, noting that the company is breaking operations into more independent regions so local teams can respond quickly to new trade policies. Pharma giant AstraZeneca is also pivoting its footprint, rapidly shifting manufacturing to the U.S. and planning a $50 billion investment in local operations. 'We have lots of reasons to be here,' CEO Pascal Soriot said on the company's earnings call. For others, localization is as much about sovereignty as it is about logistics. 'We are building data centers for American hyperscalers in Europe, but also for Europeans in the U.S. It's a conscious decoupling,' Skanska CEO Anders Danielsson told CNBC. 'Sovereign tech is a real priority.' Not every company can shift where things are made. Some are relying on diplomacy. Rolls-Royce CFO Helen McCabe told CNBC the aerospace firm worked with U.K. and U.S. governments to win exemptions for key parts. 'It's not just about tariffs,' she said. 'It's about aligning our industrial footprint to minimize any friction.' That kind of behind-the-scenes outreach points to a bigger change: trade policy has become a key part of business planning. More companies are factoring in government relations and political risk when making decisions. Price hikes, policy risk and volatility Even the most proactive companies can't prepare for everything. Some are eating the higher costs. Others are raising prices — carefully. Lindt & Sprüngli, the premium chocolate maker, raised prices by 15.8% this year to offset soaring cocoa costs, driven partly by export restrictions in West Africa. 'We saw only a 4.6% decline in volume mix,' CEO Adalbert Lechner told CNBC. But he admitted that U.S. consumers are becoming more price-sensitive. Givaudan CEO Gilles Andrier shared a similar view. 'Some of our natural ingredients come from Africa and Latin America,' he told CNBC. 'So we're exposed to some tariffs there.' Even companies with local factories can't avoid all trade impacts when raw materials come from abroad. For companies tied to commodities, the trade duties are just one piece of a bigger puzzle: unpredictability. 'The tricky thing was, it was non-fundamentals-based volatility,' Shell CEO Wael Sawan told CNBC, describing recent swings in the oil market. 'This wasn't a change to physical commodity flows. This was really sort of paper-induced volatility.' That, he said, makes it harder to plan investments or manage price risk. Even in banking, where the direct impact of tariffs might seem small, the consequences are showing up. 'When you price risk now, you can't just look at credit or liquidity. You have to model policy unpredictability,' UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel told CNBC. That includes trade tensions, regulatory surprises, and election-related gridlock. This quarter makes one thing clear: policy is now a core business risk, not background noise. With elections ahead and industrial policy shifting, companies are localizing, diversifying, lobbying, and repricing faster than ever. Tariffs aren't just a cost — they're reshaping industries. When customers trade aluminum for steel or chocolate for cheaper treats, the threat isn't just margins. It's market share. So yes, leaders are building closer to home, pricing smarter, negotiating harder as they scramble to stay ahead of the next curveball.

USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Trump addresses pardon decision for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, but questions remain
President Donald Trump is breaking his silence on pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs for the first time since he was acquitted of the most serious charges in a federal sex-crimes trial last month. In an interview that aired Friday, Aug. 1 on Newsmax with host Rob Finnerty, Trump discussed the possibility of presidential pardons for convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, Combs and former Rep. George Santos. After Finnerty asked, "Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Would you consider pardoning him?" Trump responded: "Well he was essentially, I guess sort of, half-innocent. I don't know what they do, he's still in jail or something. He was celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn't as good of a victory." Trump 'should not pardon' Sean 'Diddy' 'Diddy' Combs, Megyn Kelly says On July 2, jurors found Combs not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking ex-girlfriends Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine and a woman known as "Jane" in his sweeping trial that nearly lasted two months. He was convicted July 2 on two of the five counts against him for transporting those same women for prostitution, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years per count. During the interview, Trump said "probably..." before pausing and revealing to Finnerty, "You know, I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great, seemed like a nice guy. I didn't know him well, but when I ran for office he was very hostile." The Newsmax host noted then that "he said some not so nice things about you, sir." "Yeah, and it's hard. You know, like you, we're human beings and we don't like to have things cloud our judgement, right?" the president continued. "But when you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements… so I don't know... it makes it more difficult to do." Then, Trump replied, "I'd say so," when Finnerty clarified by asking if it was "more likely a no for (pardoning) Combs?" In the interview, Trump was seemingly referencing Combs' expletive-filled 2017 comments in The Daily Beast, essentially saying that "(Black people) don't really" care about Trump. "The tomfoolery that's going on in D.C., that's just regular everyday business to Black folks," Combs told the left-leaning outlet in-part, adding later in the interview that he had to "keep it focused on that self-love that we need to give our race." Trump first weighed in on the possibility of pardoning Combs on May 30 in the Oval Office. "Nobody's asked" about a pardon, the president said. "But I know people are thinking about it. I know they're thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." Trump added, "I haven't spoken to him in years. He really liked me a lot." Despite last month's verdict, Combs' legal saga continues. On Wednesday, July 31, lawyers for Combs requested his acquittal, or a new trial altogether, in court documents reviewed by USA TODAY. A day earlier, conservative host Megyn Kelly urged Trump against potentially pardoning Combs. Kelly said in an X post on July 30 that "Trump should not pardon Diddy" because "he doesn't deserve it." "He's a Trump hater. He's a woman abuser. MAGA is already upset over elites seeming to cover for each other. This would not help. GOP struggling w/young female voters, most of whom will HATE a Diddy pardon," Kelly wrote. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman