On Thursday night, MS NOW (FKA MSNBC) took over Gilley’s in Downtown Dallas as the network brought together members of the MS NOW community from across Texas for an evening of live programming and connection at the debut of the MS NOW Members Lounge.
The Members Lounge is a brand-new pop-up event concept that gives Members and the broader MS NOW community opportunities to connect and engage during key political and cultural moments across the country. Its debut in Texas comes just ahead of the network’s annual live community event, MS NOW Live: Together in Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the College Park Center at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Blocks away from the Republican Midterm Convention, members of the MS NOW community lined up down the block to enter the network’s inaugural Members Lounge.
Shortly after entering the venue, an airing of the live broadcast of The Weeknight, co-anchored by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele and Luke Russert, featured an exclusive cable interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico on his Senate campaign and the political dynamics shaping Texas ahead of the midterm elections.
Guests were treated to an exclusive after-show interactive Q&A with the co-anchors as part of the newly launched MS NOW Membership. Taking questions directly from the online community and those on the ground in Dallas, Steele discussed the state of the Republican Party ahead of November while Russert and Sanders Townsend highlighted the need for honest conversations around healthcare in America. Guests also stopped by the dedicated Membership booth to learn more about the new offering and explored the platform’s Community Hub.
Among the attendees were local NPR member station KERA’s Ron Corning, Texas State Rep. Vikki Goodwin and Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter of First Unitarian Church of Dallas.
The inaugural event also follows the launch of the MS NOW Membership, a new direct-to-consumer product featuring twice-daily opportunities to speak with MS NOW’s journalists live. Membership also offers a new way to consume the news, 24/7 access to the live MS NOW linear feed, Member-exclusive series, a curated daily news briefing and more.
Stay tuned to Dallas Voice for an interview with MS NOW’s Eugene Daniels, who was in attendance last night, ahead of its live event.
The MS NOW Live: Together in Texas gathering on Sept. 26 will welcome up to 7,000 people to hear from 15 of the news network’s top reporters and anchors ahead of the midterm elections. Along with Daniels, Townsend, Steele and Russert, the full lineup includes Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Jen Psaki, Stephanie Ruhle, Ali Velshi, Ari Melber, Chris Hayes, Alicia Menendez, Jacob Soboroff and Rev. Al Sharpton.
–From staff reports