Chelsea Clinton Lands NBC Job, Critics Question Her Experience

Former 'First Daughter' to Become Special Correspondent for 'Making A Difference'

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter

November 14, 2011|3:32 pm

NBC television network announced Monday morning that it has hired political offspring Chelsea Clinton as a special correspondent, but some observers find the network's choice ironic.

Clinton is the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton, 31, is to appear as a full-time special correspondent on NBC's "Making a Difference" segment for the network's "NBC Nightly News" with Brian Williams.

The NBC segment tells stories of those giving their time to improve the lives of others.

"I hope telling stories through 'Making a Difference' – as in my academic work and nonprofit work – will help me to live my grandmother’s adage of 'Life is not about what happens to you, but about what you do with what happens to you,'" Chelsea Clinton said in a statement.

NBC News President Steve Capus told The New York Times that after interviewing Clinton in July, her position as a correspondent "really kind of synced up."

According to Capus, during the interview Clinton told him: "That's the kind of thing, if this were to happen, that I would really like to do."

A source told The New York Times that Clinton plans to donate the majority of her NBC earnings to both the Clinton Foundation and the George Washington University Hospital in the name of her recently passed grandmother, Dorothy Rodham.

Clinton is currently pursuing her Ph.D at Oxford University and is a board member of the William J. Clinton Foundation.

She married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in 2010.

"Chelsea is a remarkable woman who will be a great addition to NBC News," Capus said.

"Given her vast experiences, it's as though Chelsea has been preparing for this opportunity her entire life. We are proud she will be bringing her considerable, unique talents and dedication to NBC News," he added.

NBC has a history of hiring political descendants. Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, is a correspondent for the "Today" show.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, is a correspondent for MSNBC.

Many are questioning if due to her lineage, Clinton is just another shoe-in on the network.

"The supreme irony of Chelsea Clinton becoming an NBC reporter. I'm pretty sure she's never granted an interview," tweeted The New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor under the name "jodikantor."

Others have congratulated Clinton, arguing that although she does not boast her credentials, her past accomplishments merit her fully capable of her NBC title.

"Rare victory of meritocracy over wealth and connections. Chelsea Clinton lands posh job with NBC," tweeted professor and The American Interest magazine editor Walter Russell Mead under the name "wrmead."