Independent media newsletter by ex-CNNer Oliver Darcy gets sponsored by progressive MS NOW

FIRST ON FOX - A rising independent media newsletter that aims to hold the industry's "most influential leaders to account" is running advertisements from MS NOW, the progressive cable network formerly known as MSNBC.

Status, which was founded by former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy, has published several issues of its newsletter since Nov. 18 featuring a message that it's "presented by MS NOW." MSNBC formally became MS NOW on Nov. 15.

On Wednesday morning, the Status website was topped with a large MS NOW ad featuring liberal anchor Rachel Maddow. A Status spokesperson vehemently denied a conflict of interest. 

The Status slogan is, "Hard-hitting reporting. Uncompromising analysis. Zero spin," and its website declares it is the "definitive daily briefing that takes readers inside the corridors of media power, delivering fearless journalism that holds society's most influential leaders to account." 

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It was the first to report last year on the alleged relationship between journalist Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that sparked Nuzzi's exit from New York Magazine, and it has grown rapidly in the past year, nearing 100,000 subscribers as of August.

The site's About Us page states: "While some corporate media outlets have buckled under political pressure, Status remains relentless in its pursuit of the truth without sugarcoating. Status is proudly independent and relies on readers for support. We are not funded by billionaires."

MS NOW was known as MSNBC until earlier this month, when the network officially rebranded as part of Comcast spinning off its cable networks under a company called Versant. MS NOW launched a $20 million ad campaign this month to sell viewers on the change while signaling it remained committed to a progressive viewpoint: "Same mission. New name." 

A "message from our sponsor" in the Status newsletter reads, "Home to 'Morning Joe,' 'The Rachel Maddow Show,' 'All In with Chris Hayes,' and more voices you know and trust, MS NOW is your source for news, opinion and the world. Our name is new, but you'll find the same commitment to justice, progress and the truth you've relied on for decades."

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A Status spokesperson told Fox News Digital that highlighting the MS NOW sponsorship "strikes us as a bad-faith attempt to question our journalism, which continues to cause discomfort to billionaires and those in power."

"The suggestion that Status would soften its coverage to appease an advertiser is categorically false and insulting. Status has never tailored its journalism for any sponsor, and we never will. Our reporting speaks for itself: tough, independent, and often uncomfortable for the very institutions that choose to advertise with us," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

"Like every major media outlet - including Fox News - Status carries advertising to support its work, and it is sold by non-editorial staff. But an advertisement is not an endorsement, and it certainly does not buy influence. Our editorial independence is core to our mission and our values, and we would never jeopardize that for advertising dollars."

Status' editorial staff do not sell its advertisements, as Darcy has enlisted industry veteran Stacey Farish to sell spots on the media newsletter, the calendar for which is set well in advance of publication.

It's common for newsletters to have corporate sponsors. For example, Friday's editions of the Axios AM and Politico Playbook newsletters were respectively presented by Meta's Instagram and McDonald's.

Status has run advertisements from other companies it covers, including Netflix, Amazon MGM and Disney, the parent company to ABC News. Status has also critically covered its corporate advertisers; last week, it explored Disney executives refraining from a "tit-for-tat with the Trump administration's attacks," and has also been critical of Amazon chief Jeff Bezos.

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On Monday, Status examined Versant CEO Mark Lazarus' "eye-popping pay package" and problems MS NOW might face after it formally splits from Comcast. In July, Status put a spotlight on the network's struggle to attract primetime viewers, and in August the outlet discussed its "messy rebrand." In September, Darcy interviewed MSNBC's Ari Melber about the Trump administration's media attacks and the firing of Matthew Dowd over his incendiary comments about the murder of Charlie Kirk, among other topics.

Darcy has appeared on MS NOW - when it was still MSNBC - several times, and is a vehement critic of conservative media, particularly outlets that are favorable to President Donald Trump. His most recent appearance on the network was in October.

He was among the media voices who were sharply critical of a Wall Street Journal report last year that then-President Joe Biden was showing signs of mental slippage behind the scenes, shortly before his disastrous debate tanked his White House chances in 2024.

An MS NOW insider told Fox News Digital that Darcy's on-air appearances are not tied to the advertisements, and the network does not expect favorable coverage as part of the deal. 

MS NOW did not immediately respond when asked for comment on the business relationship with Status. 

Darcy worked in conservative media earlier in his career, doing a stint at The Blaze before going to Business Insider and eventually CNN, where he worked closely with fellow media scribe Brian Stelter. Darcy left CNN in 2024 to launch his new venture and has added several staffers since, including ex-CNN figures Jon Passantino and Brian Lowry.

Fox News Digital's David Rutz contributed to this report.