Black women in media are making moves in news — both on and off the camera.
While it may come as no surprise that the dedication and hard-work of Black women is finally paying off, the road to the top of news television is no easy feat. That’s what makes the milestones that much sweeter. Current SVP of special news at NBC and MSNBC, Rashida Jones, for instance, was recently announced as the highest-ranking Black executive in cable television — and the first Black woman to run a major cable news network when she takes over as president of MSNBC in February. But she’s not the only one making power moves in major networks across the country.
Below are a few of the Black women in media working to amplify the stories that matter the most for our community, and looking fly on (and off) camera when doing so!
01
Joy Reid
Joy Reid became the Black woman to host a primetime talk show on a major network when she took over Chris Matthews’ 7 p.m. MSNBC weeknight slot this summer with The ReidOut.
02
Abby Phillip
Abby Phillip is a White House correspondent with CNN. Prior to this role, she was a national political reporter covering the White House for The Washington Post. The anchor has been praised for her poised presence during CNN’s election coverage and hard-hitting news coverage.
03
Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones was recently named president of MSNBC, becoming the first Black leader of a news network. Prior to her title of “Madam President,” Jones was the senior vice president of special news across NBC and MSNBC, and is taking over for the longtime President Phil Griffin starting in February.
04
Tiffany Cross
Tiffany Cross frequently offers critical political analysis on MSNBC, CNN and SiriusXM, and is finally getting her big break. The political analyst and former resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, will anchor MSNBC on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and noon, sharing the weekend hosting duties formerly held by Joy Reid’s AM Joy. Last summer she released the book, Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives and Saving Our Democracy.
05
Kristen Welker
Kristen Welker has been a household name for quite some time now, but her selection as moderator of the final presidential debate on between President Donald Trump and then Democratic nominee Joe Biden has skyrocketed her to the forefront of the most recent election cycle. The TV journalist is a NBC News White House correspondent and co-anchor of Weekend Today.
06
Yamiche Alcindor
Yamiche Alcindor is the White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, a role she began in January 2018. She also contributes political content to NBC News and MSNBC. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) awarded her with its 2020 “Journalist of the Year” honor.
07
Zerlina Maxwell
NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service added some #BlackGirlMagic to its recent programming slate with Zerlina, hosted by Zerlina Maxwell, appearing at 6 p.m. ET. She is the head of progressive programming for SiriusXM, co-host of the SiriusXM show Signal Boost and a regular contributor to MSNBC. Her recent book, The End of White Politics: How to Heal our Liberal Divide, was released in May.
08
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Brittany Packnett Cunningham is an MSNBC contributor, 2020 Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, and former co-host of “Pod Save the People.” She also hosts a new weekly podcast for The Meteor called Undistracted.
09
Ayesha Rascoe
Ayesha Rascoe is a White House reporter for NPR. In her current role, she covers breaking news and policy developments from the White House. Prior to joining NPR, she covered the White House for Reuters, chronicling President Barack Obama’s final year in office and the beginning days of the Trump administration.
10
Audie Cornish
On January 4, NPR Veteran Audie Cornish announced she was joining the masses in “The Great Recession” and leaving National Public Radio where she’d worked since 2005. One week later, on January 10, it was announced that Cornish had joined CNN and the CNN Plus team where she would host a weekly program on the upcoming streaming service as well as a new podcast.
11
Symone Sanders
Symone Sanders, senior press spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, has been tapped by MSNBC to anchor a weekend cable TV and streaming show for the news network. When asked about the new venture, she told Variety, “I’m going to bring my whole self to this show. I am a young woman, a young woman of color. I’m a Black woman, a young Black woman form the Midwest, from Nebraska. Yes, I have done politics, but I’m also a consumer of pop culture. I’m turning on the news in the car, but I’m also DVR-ing the ‘Housewives.’ There is a space for that to intersect.”
12
Angela Rye
Already an award-winning politics and social issues commentator, Angela Rye has been tapped by ESPN to contribute topical features, commentaries, and essays across various shows and platforms. Rye will provide perspective on
sports-related matters of race, culture, and social justice issues and make in-studio appearances and produce stories under the ESPN Black History Always banner.
13
Janine Sherman Barrois
Warner Bros. Television Group has renewed its overall deal with award-winning executive producer/writer/showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois. She will continue to develop original programming to be produced through WBTV for all platforms, including HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the five broadcast networks. In addition, Barrois is launching her own multi-media production company, Folding Chair Productions, which produces elevated content by creative disruptors who are seeking a place at the table.
14
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Former Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she will now serve as a political commentator for CNN. This new appointment is a full-circle moment for Bottoms, who revealed that she once applied for the video journalism program at the news network as an undergrad at FAMU, but did not get accepted. “To now join the team nearly 30 years later is a reminder that a dream deferred is never a dream denied,” she wrote on Twitter.
