Chelsea Clinton Leaves NBC, $600,000 Paycheck

Shirley Li Aug 29, 2014

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.

This article is from the archive of our partner, The Wire.

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."

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."

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.

This article is from the archive of our partner, The Wire.

Her departure, therefore, has revived criticism on Twitter from political commentators:

Read Clinton's full Facebook post below: (Click on link to read Facebook posts)

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/...ycheck/379379/