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Ari Melber

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Ari Melber
Melber in 2018
Born
Ari Naftali Melber

(1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 (age 44)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan (AB)
Cornell University (JD)
OccupationJournalist
EmployerNBCUniversal
Television
Spouse
Drew Grant
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2017)​

Ari Naftali Melber[1] (born March 31, 1980) is an American attorney and Emmy-winning journalist who is the Chief Legal Correspondent for MSNBC and host of The Beat with Ari Melber.

"The Beat with Ari Melber" is "often the most-watched show on MSNBC," the A.P. reported in 2023, noting "the Emmy-winning NBC News legal analyst... brings a methodical, 'follow the facts' style to the issues he addresses."[2]

"The Beat" had the highest ratings of any show on MSNBC or CNN, "outranking everything else on MSNBC — the first time in the network’s 27 years that a show outside the prime-time window took top honors," the New York Times reported in 2023.[3]

Forbes reported The Beat was the highest rated show across all of MSNBC and CNN in January 2024,[4] and the show is widely viewed online, including its YouTube playlist (msnbc.com/ari). [5]

The Beat was "the highest-rated non-Fox News show in the demo" on cable news, AdWeek reported in November 2023.[6] Forbes [7] notes it has "MSNBC's best rating ever for the time slot."[8][9][10]

"The Beat" is one of "the most-watched news programs on cable," Variety noted in 2023, along with Fox's "The Five."[11] AdWeek reported The Beat's ratings made it one of "most watched cable news" shows in 2022.[12][13]

"The Beat's" ratings were up 46%" in 2021,[14] performing better against Fox News "than any other show before it."[15][16] In January 2021, The Beat hit No. 1 among cable news shows at 6 p.m., averaging 2.6 million viewers per night.[17][18]

The Beat was nominated for a 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Interview.[19]

Early life and education

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Melber is Jewish, the son of an Israeli immigrant. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors.[20]

Melber attended Garfield High School, in Seattle, Washington. He then attended the University of Michigan, where he graduated with an A.B. degree in political science in 2002.[21] After college, he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for Senator Maria Cantwell. He then joined Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign, working the Iowa caucus and as California deputy political director.[22][21][23] When Kerry lost, Melber attended Cornell Law School, where he was an editor of the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and graduated with a J.D. in 2009.[24] He interned at New York County Defender Services, a public defender's office.

Melber worked for First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams at Cahill Gordon & Reindel[21] from 2009 to 2013.[24] He also began writing for news outlets like The Nation, The Atlantic, Reuters, and Politico.[21] MSNBC asked him to serve as a guest host.[21] In April 2015, Melber was named their chief legal correspondent.

Media career

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The Cycle: Ari Melber, Krystal Ball, Touré, and Abby Huntsman (2013)

2013–2015

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In April 2013, Melber was named a co-host of "The Cycle" with S.E. Cupp, Krystal Ball, Touré, and Steve Kornacki.[25] "The Cycle" was canceled in July 2015, and Melber continued working for the network as Chief Legal Correspondent. Melber was a substitute host for The Rachel Maddow Show and other programs.[21]

2015–2018

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Melber is a legal analyst for NBC News as well as MSNBC's chief legal correspondent,[26] covering the Department of Justice, FBI and the Supreme Court.[27]

He has won an Emmy Award for his Supreme Court coverage.[28] In 2017, Melber hosted The Point on Sundays on MSNBC.

The Beat premiered on July 24, 2017, and became the "longest-running" show at "MSNBC's 6 p.m. hour in network history" in 2021.

Melber reported that the firing of FBI Director James Comey could trigger an investigation into obstruction of justice on May 9, 2017 — the day Comey was fired.[29] A probe was announced on May 18, 2017, which included an obstruction investigation.

Melber reported President Trump's actions toward Ukraine provided a potential case of impeachment for "bribery" in October.[30] The next month, top Democrats began making the bribery case, showing "Democrats agreed with the MSNBC host" (Mediaite),[31] while a Republican congressman cited a bribery segment from The Beat at an impeachment hearing.[32]

A few months into the Mueller probe,[33] Melber broke the story that a state investigator was exploring jurisdiction to charge potential defendants in the Mueller probe with state crimes, meaning a conviction would not be eligible for a federal pardon. Politico followed up on Melber's scoop the next day,[34] and New York State prosecutors ultimately filed separate charges against Paul Manafort in 2019.

2019

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Melber interviewed former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in February 2019 about whether Trump asked him to interfere in the Mueller probe,[35] and Melber later reported that Lewandowski's response was false.[36] In a 2019 congressional hearing, investigators aired the Beat clip and questioned Lewandowski about that false answer.[37]

Melber broke the story[38] of police repeatedly tasing a Virginia man until he died in police custody, an investigative report[39] that led to an FBI investigation of the officers' conduct.[40]

On the night of the 2018 midterms, Melber broke a story[41] that Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee[42] "intend to request President Trump's tax returns."[43] In April 2019, United States House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal carried out that plan.[44]

The Beat with Ari Melber has featured newsworthy interviews, such as Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who talked to Melber after receiving the first pardon of Trump's administration;[45] Eric Holder, Kamala Harris, Trump attorneys Jay Sekulow, Drew Findling and Joe Tacopina; WH aide Stephen Miller, Dave Chappelle, Robert De Niro, Meek Mill, Erykah Badu, Ken Starr, and a range of witnesses in the Mueller probe, including Steve Bannon, whose Beat interview was his first-ever appearance on MSNBC.

Melber has drawn attention for his interviewing skills, nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Live Interview,"[19] for interviewing four key witnesses in the Mueller probe at once.[46]

Columbia Journalism Review stated Melber is "a remarkably effective interviewer", adding "his veins appear to contain ice water; he betrays no emotion at all" during intense exchanges. The A.P. reports "Melber is respected enough as a lawyer that some figures in Trump world, like Peter Navarro and lawyer Joe Tacopina, have appeared on “The Beat” to tell their stories."[47]

The New York Times columnist Peter Wehner, a former Republican official, said "Melber is an outstanding interviewer, among the best on television."[48] Director Lee Daniels got emotional in a 2019 interview about his life and career with Melber, saying it was the only time he would ever "cry on television".[49]

2020

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In June 2020, conservative commentator Tiana Lowe wrote "Ari Melber on MSNBC" runs a "good straight news hour."[50] Mediaite[51] wrote The Beat is a "thought-provoking" and "idiosyncratic show" that "avoids the singular focus on Trump's misdeeds that consumes some other hosts",[52] adding Melber's interviewing style uses "the facts of the story and logical reasoning, [not] partisan cheap shots" for "fascinating" exchanges.[53]

January 6 reporting

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Melber conducted several newsworthy interviews[54] with former Trump aide Peter Navarro, and one of the interviews was cited as evidence by Congress to hold Navarro in contempt, which led to his DOJ indictment and subsequent conviction.[55][56]

Melber wrote a foreword to the HarperCollins edition of the January 6 Report,[57][58] which became a #1 New York Times bestseller.[59]

"The Beat" Streaming

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"Melber’s reach goes well beyond the dwindling number of people who watch cable television," wrote the Los Angeles Times in a 2023 profile, reporting The Beat's YouTube ratings were higher "than any other personality‘s at the network."[60] "The Beat" hit 1.5 billion total online views in 2024.

Semafor reported on the "enormous numbers," noting "on YouTube, The Beat just crossed 1.5 billion views, and averages more than 500,000 views a clip — good engagement by any measure of YouTube success."[61]

AdWeek asked Melber about the show's large YouTube audience, and he discussed the show's 1.6 billion views, and why interviews with Bill Gates, 50 Cent and Robert De Niro did well. ("The Internet likes quality, length and 'big' people or topics.")[62][63]

Melber's show is one of the most viewed shows online (Daily Beast), [64][65] and drawing over a billion streams is a "notable feat for a cable news program" (Reliable Sources).[66] The Beat has been credited as the "most streamed MSNBC show on YouTube";[67] with some of the most watched MSNBC segments online.[68][69]

Music and Culture

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Melber regularly uses hip hop lyrics to explain political or legal scenarios.[70][71][72] A Vanity Fair article about MSNBC dubbed him the "secret fourth Beastie Boy", writing he is "shockingly smart and well read."[73]

Apple Music launched a music show hosted by Melber, Nevuary Radio,[74] in 2019.[75]

In 2022, Melber did a special report on the song "God Did" by Jay-Z and DJ Khaled,[76] with "acutely detailed dissection" of his verse, and Jay Z then released audio of Melber's report as a new Jay-Z track, "Hov Did," on streaming music platforms.[77] Meek Mill references The Beat in his music video "Mandela Freestyle,"[78] as does rapper Benny The Butcher in another song; Harlem rapper Dave East cites the show in the chorus of his song "Eyes Can See."[79]

Melber was a correspondent for The Nation; and he has been published in The Atlantic, Reuters and Politico and several books; he wrote a report about Organizing for America.[24]

Personal life

[edit]

Melber attended Garfield High School in Seattle, WA.[80] Melber lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. He has been divorced from Drew Grant, the Managing Editor of Passionfruit,[81][82][83] since 2017.[84] He is a member of the New York Bar.[85]

References

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  1. ^ "Ari Naftali Melber Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  2. ^ "All Trump, all the time? Former president's legal problems a boon to MSNBC". AP News. October 5, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (March 16, 2023). "The New Prime Time for TV News: Afternoons: The biggest draw on Fox News is no longer Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity; it's "The Five." And daytime shows on CNN and MSNBC are outranking evening programming". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Joyella, Mark. "Fox News Channel Makes History: 22 Consecutive Years At Number One". Forbes. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  5. ^ "🟡 Semafor Media March 24 | Semafor | Semafor". www.semafor.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  6. ^ "Here Are Top-Rated Cable News Shows of November 2023". www.adweek.com. November 30, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  7. ^ Schaal, Eric (January 3, 2019). "Why Does MSNBC's Ari Melber Have So Many More Viewers Than CNN's Wolf Blitzer?". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  8. ^ Berg, Madeline. "Mixing Rap And Politics, MSNBC's Ari Melber Produces A Hit". Forbes. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Steinberg, Brian (July 21, 2017). "MSNBC to Launch 'The Beat With Ari Melber' on Monday".
  10. ^ Scott, Becky. "5 Things About Ari Melber, Greta Van Susteren's Replacement", Jewish Daily Forward, June 30, 2017
  11. ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 19, 2023). "MSNBC Isn't Using Blue-State Chatter to Build a Daytime Nation". Variety.
  12. ^ "Week of Dec. 5 Cable Ranker: Fox News Remains No. 1, Posts Week-to-Week Gains But Year-Over-Year Losses". www.adweek.com. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "Here's Who Showed Up at The Beat With Ari Melber 5-Year Anniversary Celebration". www.adweek.com. September 14, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  14. ^ Baragona, Justin (June 29, 2023). "MSNBC Has Quietly Surged Off CNN's and Fox's Woes: Fox had its post-Tucker nosedive, CNN had the disastrous Trump town hall—and MSNBC has been reaping the benefits". The Daily Beast.
  15. ^ "The Wild and Weird History of MSNBC's 6 PM Hour — Which Now Has a Record-Holding Host". Mediaite. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. ^ Stelter, Brian. "The daily edition of 'The Rachel Maddow Show' is coming to an end. So who will replace her?". CNN. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "NBCUniversal Media Village". viewer.nbcumv.com. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  18. ^ "Drake Posts MSNBC's Ari Melber Quoting Him For The First Time To Address Capitol Insurrection Hearings". HipHopDX. June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 41ST ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS – The Emmys". theemmys.tv. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  20. ^ Ostendorf, Fran (November 4, 2019). "Conversation with Ari Melber packs Alliance campaign event". Jewish Rhode Island. He's the son of an Israeli, grandson of Holocaust survivors. He went to a Jewish Day School.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Ommaney, Charles. "Is Ari Melber the future of cable-news anchors?", Columbia Journalism Review, December 2014
  22. ^ "John Kerry-California Campaign Organization". p2004.org. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  23. ^ Ballon, Marc (February 26, 2004). "Local Kerry Support Shows Softness". Jewish Journal. The senator plans to fight for every Jewish vote, said Ari Melber, a Southern California deputy political director on the Kerry campaign who's responsible for Jewish outreach. Melber and other staff members have assembled a group of prominent Jewish Democratic supporters to spread the word about Kerry in the community.
  24. ^ a b c Jewish Business News: "Ari Melber Named MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent" April 19, 2015
  25. ^ Erik Hayden, "Ari Melber Named Co-Host of MSNBC's 'The Cycle'", Yahoo Entertainment, April 3, 2013. [1]
  26. ^ Connor, Jackson (April 15, 2015). "MSNBC Names Ari Melber Chief Legal Correspondent". HuffPost.
  27. ^ Steinberg, Brian (July 21, 2017). "MSNBC to Launch 'The Beat With Ari Melber' on Monday".
  28. ^ Steinberg, Brian (July 2, 2017). "MSNBC to Launch 'The Beat With Ari Melber' on Monday". Variety. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  29. ^ "Ari Melber Says "Former FBI Official" Described Comey's Firing As "Insane," Questioned If It Is "Obstruction"". Media Matters for America. May 9, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  30. ^ Melber, Ari. "Perspective | 'Bribery' is right there in the Constitution. Trump could be impeached for that". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  31. ^ "How Did Democrats Decide on 'Bribery' as Trump's Offense?". Mediaite. November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  32. ^ "In Trump 'bribery' clash at impeachment hearing, Congressman cites interviews and MSNBC". MSNBC. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  33. ^ "Presidential pardons might not end Russia prosecutions". NBC News. August 30, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  34. ^ Dawsey, Josh (August 30, 2017). "Mueller teams up with New York attorney general in Manafort probe". Politico. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  35. ^ Donut Defense: Anchor Grills Top Trump Aide On Obstruction Report | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC, February 22, 2019, retrieved September 23, 2019
  36. ^ House Investigator Confronts Trump Aide Under Oath For Lying On MSNBC | The Beat With Ari Melber, September 18, 2019, retrieved September 23, 2019
  37. ^ Wilstein, Matt (September 1, 2019). "Corey Lewandowski Caught in Lie to MSNBC During House Testimony". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  38. ^ "Another senseless death in police custody". The Washington Post. November 1, 2015. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  39. ^ "Driven to hospital, Virginia man tased, shackled and dies in police custody". MSNBC. November 1, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  40. ^ "Feds close inquiry into death of Linwood Lambert after Va. police tasing". NBC News. September 22, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  41. ^ "With House majority, Dems intend to request Trump's tax returns". MSNBC. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  42. ^ Porter, Tom (November 7, 2018). "Democrats set to demand Donald Trump's tax returns after winning House majority". Newsweek. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  43. ^ "Once in power, House Democrats will reportedly demand Trump's tax returns". The Week. November 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  44. ^ Gordon, Marcy (April 4, 2019). "White House pushes back on request for Trump tax forms". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  45. ^ Marcin, Tim (January 1, 2018). "Joe Arpaio found out he admitted guilt with Trump pardon on live TV". Newsweek. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  46. ^ Watch: Ari Melber's Interview With 4 Key Mueller Witnesses | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC, January 23, 2019, retrieved August 9, 2020
  47. ^ "All Trump, all the time? Former president's legal problems a boon to MSNBC". AP News. October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  48. ^ Wehner, Peter (February 2, 2019). ".@AriMelber is an outstanding interviewer, among the best on television. Just FYI". @peter_wehner. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  49. ^ "Lee Daniels gets emotional over historic Oscar". MSN. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  50. ^ "Tucker Carlson's genius journalism, not punditry, makes him dominate cable". Washington Examiner. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  51. ^ "Ari Melber Grills Jerome Corsi: 'A Lot of What You've Said Does Not Add Up'". November 29, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  52. ^ "The Interview: Ari Melber Talks 2020 Election, Trump, Barr and Biden-Harris". Mediaite. September 17, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  53. ^ "MSNBC's Ari Melber Grills Andrew McCabe: The Rosenstein Memo is 'Not the Whole Story' … is It?". February 22, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  54. ^ See Trump Aide Peter Navarro's Last Interview Before Indictment, MSNBC, June 3, 2022, retrieved October 6, 2022 – via YouTube
  55. ^ Rupar, Aaron. "Peter Navarro's recent interviews with @AriMelber just came back to bite him". Retrieved October 6, 2022 – via Twitter.
  56. ^ Melber, Ari (March 30, 2022). "Contempt for Peter Navarro". arimelber.substack.com. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  57. ^ Limbong, Andrew (December 16, 2022). "Will you read the Jan. 6 report cover-to-cover? These publishers hope so". NPR.
  58. ^ "Will the January 6 report bring a second Christmas for US publishers? | Books". The Guardian. December 25, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  59. ^ Stelter, Brian (January 5, 2023). "This week's NYT nonfiction paperback best seller list features three publishers' editions of the 1/6 report; Harper's edition with a foreword by @AriMelber ranked #1". Retrieved February 7, 2023 – via Twitter.
  60. ^ "'The Beat' goes on for MSNBC's legal savant Ari Melber amid Trump indictments". Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  61. ^ "🟡 Semafor Media March 24 | Semafor | Semafor". www.semafor.com. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  62. ^ Alter, Ethan (September 16, 2024). "5 Questions For... Ari Melber". Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  63. ^ "The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC". YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  64. ^ "The Beat averaged a historic 1,500,000 nightly viewers this year – the most ever for MSNBC at 6pm – and over 119 million more video views on YouTube than the previous year, nearly doubling views year-over-year". January 2, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  65. ^ Grove, Lloyd (April 2, 2019). "Even Trump's Personal Attorney Loves MSNBC's Ari Melber". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  66. ^ "Reliable Sources, CNN". view.newsletters.cnn.com. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  67. ^ "Snoop Dogg Reacts To Seeing Old 2Pac Footage During Ari Melber Interview: 'I Feel Like Fuckin' Somebody Up'". HipHopDX. August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  68. ^ "The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC". Twitter. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  69. ^ "Drake Posts MSNBC's Ari Melber Quoting Him For The First Time To Address Capitol Insurrection Hearings". HipHopDX. June 30, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  70. ^ "MSNBC Correspondent Ari Melber Uses Rap Lyrics to Get His Point Across – XXL". XXL Mag. May 26, 2017.
  71. ^ "Viral Clip Shows MSNBC Pundit Appropriately Citing Gucci Mane During Segment On Trump – Blavity". blavity.com. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  72. ^ "Ex-Bad Boy Shyne Says His Political Addresses Are Like Rapper Bars: 'It's A Lot Of 16s'". HipHopDX. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  73. ^ Hirschorn, Michael (November 4, 2018). "How MSNBC Created a Cable-News Addiction Epidemic". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  74. ^ "Nevuary w/ Ari Melber | 🍎Music's (@nevuaryradio) profile on Instagram • 134 posts". www.instagram.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  75. ^ "Nevuary Radio on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  76. ^ Eustice, Kyle (October 13, 2022). "Grammy Awards' Rap Race: Can Anyone Best Kendrick Lamar?". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  77. ^ "JAY-Z Drop Ari Melber's 'GOD DID' Breakdown As A Whole Ass Song". HipHopDX. September 4, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  78. ^ Meek Mill – Mandela Freestyle, August 13, 2021, retrieved January 14, 2023
  79. ^ Eustice, Kyle (November 19, 2022). "EXCLUSIVE: Ari Melber Mentioned On New Dave East Track—He's Just Relieved It's Not A Diss". AllHipHop. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  80. ^ 'How?!' See MSNBC Host Ari Melber Grilled, Shocked And Delighted By Legendary Interviewer Nardwuar, August 25, 2022, retrieved August 28, 2022
  81. ^ Drew Grant, Passionfruit
  82. ^ New York Times: "Step Away From the Phone!" by Caroline Tell September 20, 2013
  83. ^ New York Observer: "Drew Grant – Staff Writer" retrieved July 30, 2016
  84. ^ Levine, Daniel (June 2, 2017). "Ari Melber: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  85. ^ "Ari Melber MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent, Host of 'The Beat with Ari Melber'". MSNBC. June 13, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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