Congratulations are in order!
Political commentator Joy-Ann Reid was just announced as the new host of a nightly show on MSNBC, becoming one of few Black women to anchor an evening news program, The Washington Post reports.
Reid is an accomplished media correspondent with a versatile career that includes work as a radio host, producer, newspaper columnist, political blogger, and managing editor of the Grio. In 2011, she joined the MSNBC family as a contributor, hosting a daily show called “The Reid Report.” After the show’s cancellation in 2015, she began hosting a two-hour weekend show called “AM Joy,” that has been running for the last 4 years. Her new endeavor, “The ReidOut” will air this July, filling the 7pm time slot that was left after Chris Matthews of “Hardball” retired, making Reid the only Black woman to host a daily prime-time cable news program.
“It’s pretty overwhelming. It is a huge responsibility. I come into the world as a Black woman, a child of immigrants, as a Black parent. I just feel like I’m bringing something unique from that point of view,” Reid said in an interview.
The new show will be based in Washington, D.C., with the name being a play on a “readout,” a common term in politics to discuss the summary of a call or meeting. Guest anchors will take on her weekend show until a more permanent host can be assigned. Reid has done a lot of guest hosting herself on MSNBC since Matthew’s retirement and hopes to continue building her following on her own platform.
“[As a guest host], you’re a guest in someone’s house. You’re not going there to rearrange the furniture. You’re there to fit in. What’s exciting about this opportunity is to take what we’ve built at ‘Am Joy,’ to take the brand that I’ve been able to build there, and then bring that to a prime-time setting. I get to build the franchise, which is extremely cool. I’m actually building the house now, and so that’s a whole different kind of fun,” Reid said.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin spoke of Reid’s new role, saying, “Joy has one of the sharpest minds in the business and will be a force to be reckoned with in the evenings. She’s a powerful addition to the weeknight lineup bringing a perspective that’s sorely needed.”
MSNBC garners the second largest cable news viewership with 3.5 million total viewers during prime time, Fox News being the first. CNN is right behind them with 1.8 million viewers. The network hopes that with Reid in the 7pm slot, followed by Chris Hayes at 8pm and Rachel Maddow at 9pm, they can create an undisputed prime-time dream team that can stand the test of time.
Congratulations Joy-Ann Reid!
Photo Courtesy of Art Streiber/MSNBC