Joy Reid has never been one to follow the rules. And after her abrupt firing from MSNBC earlier this year, she’s once again showing the world exactly how to pivot with purpose—and power.

In less than a month, her self-funded YouTube show has racked up more than 165,000 subscribers and 1.4 million streams.

“We literally went up on June 9, and in two weeks, we’ve gotten over a million streams,” Reid told BET. “It’s grown so fast. I was definitely surprised—pleasantly so.”

But behind what looks like overnight success is a lean, scrappy team powered by vision and grit.

“We are tiny but mighty,” Reid said, crediting her husband Jason as director and tech lead, along with a small group of producers and social media support. “Everyone’s just being a utility player—jumping in and getting in where they fit in.”

The shift—from corporate newsroom to homegrown digital studio—has meant recalibrating every part of her workflow.

“I was so used to my 11 a.m. show meeting, my 2 p.m. show meeting, my 6 p.m. show meeting,” she recalled. “Now I’m back in producer mode. I’m involved in everything—booking, scripting, tech checks.”

Some may have seen her firing as a setback. Reid sees it as freedom.

“There were a few stories that seemed so obvious to me and my team, but my company didn’t want them covered,” she said. “It’s a good thing to not have to worry about that anymore. If I know something is important, I can do it.”

Still, the transition hasn’t come without emotional weight.

“I got fired during Black History Month—while Black History Month was under fire,” she said. “But I also had the uplift of Black women and my sorority. I was being lifted so much I couldn’t really fall.”

Reid’s pivot comes as traditional newsrooms across the country face a reckoning. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives that surged in 2020 have been quietly dismantled. Dozens of Black journalists have been laid off, pushed out, or passed over as media companies shift focus from equity to profit. For Black women—who already face disproportionate scrutiny—survival increasingly means creating independent lanes.

Luckily, Reid isn’t alone. She’s part of a growing wave of Black journalists finding new life online. With her talk radio background and instinct for audience connection, her new platform feels like a natural evolution.

“I was trained for this moment,” she said. “People aren’t watching three nightly news shows anymore. They’re picking voices they trust—on TikTok, YouTube, Substack.”

For Reid, the goal is simple: serve her audience with integrity, personality, and truth.

“I don’t label myself as traditional or non-traditional media,” she said. “I’m just a nerdy girl with something to say—and blessed to have a platform, so I’m not just screaming at my TV.”

Her newfound creative freedom is already opening new doors. With decades of experience and no corporate filter, Reid is diving into stories that legacy media may have once considered too risky. Still, she’s not abandoning the journalistic ethics she developed in the mainstream.

“I’m not going to be reckless,” she said. “But now I get to apply those standards to stories that matter to me and my community.”

As legacy newsrooms contract and restructure, more Black journalists are betting on themselves. Reid’s success isn’t just personal—it’s symbolic of a larger shift. With the mainstream in flux, independent Black journalism isn’t just surviving. It’s thriving. And Joy Reid is leading the charge.