Rashida Jones led a news network often accused of being “too woke.” Piers Morgan has been slamming those who take such a stance in recent years.
Together, they hope to break new ground in the media field.
Mr. Jones was appointed CEO of Undead, the content company founded by Mr. Morgan. She is responsible for expanding the company’s reach, launching new areas and creating opportunities to recruit new voices and talent.
“Piers has worked with Uncensored to develop a great platform and is already taking on legacy media,” Jones said in a statement. “In today’s fragmented media world, audiences crave authentic conversations based on authenticity, rigor, and open discussion. Uncensored not only provides that, it’s ahead of the curve.”
Although it may seem contradictory at first glance, her joining the company comes after Morgan announced plans in December to expand her “Uncensored” show into other topic areas. Mr. Morgan’s “Uncensored” plans to launch subject-related vertical programming including long-form interviews, sports, true crime, the royal family and more, among others, all of which are expected to debut in the coming months. Morgan has built his business by working with WME, one of the industry’s top talent agencies. WME will work with Morgan’s business manager, Alan S. Goldman of Gelfand, Lennert & Feldman, and Undead editor-in-chief Alex Campbell. The move represented a homecoming of sorts. Morgan was previously represented by WME for many years, but stepped down in 2009 after his longtime agent, John Ferriter, parted ways with WME. Mr. Ferritter passed away in 2019. Mr. Morgan and Mr. Jones were introduced by one of his WME agents, Bradley Singer, a person familiar with the matter said.
How did you two meet? Mr. Jones left MSNBC in January last year to work with Antenna Group Chairman Theodore Kiriakou in consulting, people familiar with the matter said. Antenna Group became one of Uncensored’s largest outside shareholders. Morgan was looking for an executive who understood content, distribution and how to build a new company, this person said. At MSNBC, Jones launched several digital products and programs and was testing a hybrid series that would air on both MSNBC and corresponding digital platforms.
Mr. Morgan and his colleagues were working with media investment bank Reign Group on a $30 million funding round that was expected to value the company at about $130 million, according to people familiar with the industry. Investors in Uncensored include Raine’s venture fund. Kiriakou from Antenna Group. and a family office. Raine partner and co-founder Joe Ravitch will join Uncensored’s board of directors and oversee the funding round along with Raine partner Eric Hodge, the people said.
Since leaving MSNBC, Jones has started Imagine Strategies, which advises media, sports and technology companies on M&A and content strategy. She was also named a fellow in the Knight Center for the Future of News at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
