Out’s 9th annual Power list names MSNBC host Rachel Maddow as the third most influential LGBT person in America, behind only Tim Cook and Ellen DeGeneres. The list takes a variety of criteria into account, including political clout to media visibility.
A variety of TV newsers also crack the list, with CNN’s Anderson Cooper No. 5, FNC’s Shepard Smith No. 20, ABC’s Robin Roberts No. 21 and CNN’s Don Lemon No. 22. Other notable names that Maddow ranks above include Neil Patrick Harris, Andy Cohen, Jane Lynch and Glenn Greenwald.
MSNBC’s ratings have slipped this year, but Maddow still rules the roost — she remains the political byword for the progressive media. A self-described “national security liberal,” Maddow continues to tackle topics including the erosion of women’s reproductive rights, immigration reform, LGBT rights, and ongoing threats of a government shutdown.
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Out only ranks the Top 50, but “The Next Ten” also features shift’s Janet Mock and MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts. Mock and Roberts are on the radar for next year’s Power list.