Chelsea Clinton Leaves NBC, $600,000 Paycheck
Chelsea Clinton is saying goodbye to NBC, where she had spent nearly three years as a special correspondent, to prepare for motherhood and to devote more time to charity work.
The former first daughter released a statement to People magazine Friday about the move, saying she hopes "to continue focusing on my work at the Clinton Foundation and as Marc and I look forward to welcoming out first child."
Thank you @NBCNews: http://t.co/TEUQMLTya1
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) August 29, 2014
While at NBC, Clinton covered feel-good stories for the "Making a Difference" feature on NBC Nightly News. In a lengthy Facebook post explaining her move, she highlighted some of her favorite subjects, including small business owners, teachers, and philanthropists.
Clinton also praised the network and thanked its viewers.
"I am profoundly grateful to NBC viewers who responded to the stories I shared," she wrote. "It's been a privilege to be part of the NBC Family. I admire the work and dedication that their reporters, producers, crews, editors and studio teams deliver every day, particularly as I personally experienced through the stewardship of Brian Williams at Nightly News and Rock Center."
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NBC has returned the compliment. "Chelsea's storytelling inspired people across the country and showcased the real power we have as individuals to make a difference in our communities," Alex Wallace, a senior vice president of NBC News told People. "While she will be missed, we look forward to working with her in the future."
The network's relationship with Clinton had been scrutinized since she started the gig. Politico reported earlier this year that Clinton had been earning about $600,000 a year for her work, a figure far exceeding the typical pay level of a rookie network correspondent and subsequently raising eyebrows in the media industry.
Her departure, therefore, has revived criticism on Twitter from political commentators:
Chelsea Clinton's departure leaves an opening at NBC. Do Sasha or Malia need an after-school job?
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) August 29, 2014
This was the most fraudulent and wasteful thing going in network news. Now it's over. Chelsea Clinton leaves NBC. http://t.co/Vu4n8VOvNf
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) August 29, 2014
Chelsea Clinton no longer has to pretend to be a reporter, quits $600K job at NBC http://t.co/zyPs9HHnL6 via @pagesix
— Page Six Emily (@PageSixEmily) August 29, 2014
Read Clinton's full Facebook post below:
Publication by Chelsea Clinton.
This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/08/chelsea-clinton-leaves-nbc-600000-paycheck/379379/
