MSNBC name change: See what netizens are saying about the rebrand
After the cable-news network announced it would become My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, later this year, netizens have taken to social media to make their disdain for the name and logo change more than abundantly clear.
The issue, according to the Internet, isn't just the name, it's also the look and 'feel' of the new logo.
'MSNBC changing its name to MS NOW is one of the worst branding disasters in media history. The logo looks like it belongs on a discount computer from 1998, not a serious news network,' one user wrote. 'Absurd.'
The rebranding is part of a larger restructuring currently taking place at NBCUniversal. The network, along with other brands including USA Network, Syfy, CNBC, Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine will become part of a new media company called VERSANT later this year.
'This name further underscores our mission: to serve as your destination for breaking news and thoughtful analysis and remain the home for the perspectives that you've relied on for nearly 30 years,' MSNBC said in an Aug. 18 statement.'
See what netizens are saying about the rebrand.
Why the name change? And what does MS NOW stand for?
MS NOW stands for My Source News Opinion World and the name change, according to MSNBC, 'gives us the freedom to chart our own path forward, and we're excited about where it's headed.'
The move conflicts with previous claims made by NBCUniversal that the network would be allowed to keep its name amid the shift. NBC's iconic peacock logo will no longer be used for the cable-news network, either.
A memo sent Aug. 18 by MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler addressed the flip-flop, writing:
'During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity… The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity,' Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC President, wrote in an Aug. 18 memo addressed to staff.
The peacock-looking logo, according to MSNBC CEO Mark Lazarus, 'is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family.'
Because of this decision, MSNBC is now free to 'chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.'
Social media reacts: 'I will never call it the new name'
MSNBC has certainly ruffled some feathers with the announcement, with netizens posting reactions (complete with GIFs), opinions and critiques about the rebrand, dubbed one of the 'worst branding disasters in media history' on X, formerly known as Twitter, in the last 24 hours.
Here's what netizens are saying, or have said, about MSNBC's proposed rebrand since the news broke on Aug. 18.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
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