Joy-Ann Reid is getting a prime-time news show on MSNBC. The New York Times announced the news on Thursday, saying that Reid would join the ranks of very few Black women who have held a hosting position during those hours.
“Evening and prime-time news has been a universe of White men really since I was growing up,” Reid told the Times. “For somebody who grew up as a nerdy kid obsessed with news, watching Nightline and Meet the Press, the idea of being a part of that family has always just been kind of overwhelming.”
Reid’s new show, The ReidOut, is taking the 7 p.m. time slot previously held by Chris Matthews, the former host of Hardball who was ousted from the network following a number of gaffs and nearly three decades on the air. Unlike Matthews, Reid has often taken a more liberal approach to the news, gaining popularity for her outspoken nature toward Donald Trump and her social media savvy.
In addition to covering Capitol Hill, the Brooklyn-born journalist told the Times that she is also looking forward to addressing race, class, policing and other “cataclysmic social issues we need to reckon with.”
Praise for NBC’s decision to officially promote the AM Joy host to the 7 p.m. slot has been well received on social media. Numerous voices in the political space have chimed in to send Reid well-wishes, including Zerlina Maxwell, Tiffany D. Cross and veteran journalist Dan Rather.
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, also showed her support, tweeting, “This is terrific news. @JoyAnnReid is so brilliant and well-informed. She has curated a much-needed space for fresh, tough, important dialogue with diverse guests. Congratulations @JoyAnnReid!”
Ifill is the sister of former PBS NewsHour anchor, Gwen Ifill. She was the last Black woman to host a nightly news show on a major mainstream network. Reid credits the late journalist who passed away in 2016 among her greatest role models.