The fledgling cable news network NewsNation recently aired two hours of a Donald Trump rally uninterrupted, and not everyone was pleased about it.
New York-based national correspondent Paul Gerke questioned this decision during a conference call led by NewsNation president Michael Corn, and according to New York Post‘s Alexandra Steigrad , Gerke was fired from the network shortly after that contentious call.
During the call, Gerke repeatedly asked Corn what NewsNation’s actual mission was. The network advertises itself as being “unbiased,” but it aired the rally without providing any analysis or corrections.
“Gerke just kept at it,” a source told the Post.
According to the Post, Corn didn’t take too kindly to the questioning and told Gerke that “he could leave.”
Gerke was let go from the network days later.
“As a matter of company policy, and in compliance with federal and state privacy laws, we do not comment on any employee’s status with the company,” a NewsNation rep told the Post.
My spider senses tell me this is a good time to say: I’m looking for work. Here are some of my resume highlights:
I have a degree in communicating, so I am good at writing words of varying lengths and arranging them in clever fashions to fit various purposes. Just like that!
— Paul Gerke (@PaulGerke) October 26, 2022
NewsNation, since its launch in 2021, has been trying to find its footing within the cable news landscape. The Nexstar Media-owned news channel wants to be known as a serious alternative to the big three, but has struggled in the viewership department to-date. It has steadily built its news operation with staff, behind the scenes and in front of the camera, previously employed by Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and ABC News.
The most high-profile addition to NewsNation is former CNN primetime anchor Chris Cuomo, who launched his new show, Cuomo, at the beginning of October.
Corn joined NewsNation as president of news in May 2021. The former GMA senior executive producer had abruptly left ABC News a month earlier, and allegations of sexual harassment against him surfaced soon after his exit (allegations which Corn denies to this day). A former GMA producer went on to file a sexual assault lawsuit against Corn in August 2021, and that lawsuit was dismissed by a New York State judge this past June.
Gerke joined NewsNation after a stint as host for NBC News on Quibi. He was previously a news anchor for NBC’s Phoenix affiliate (KPNX) and a sports anchor for NBC’s Tampa-St. Pete affiliate (WFLA).