Rashida Jones, a senior vice president of NBC News and MSNBC, will become president of the cable news network on February 1, 2021, upon the retirement of long-time network president Phil Griffin, NBC News reports.
Jones is currently responsible for the news side of MSNBC, overseeing daytime and weekend programming as well as breaking news coverage. She’ll take over responsibility for the entire network, which has seen a recent surge in viewership which has seen it frequently topping rival Fox News in ratings in recent weeks.
“Shortly after this election, I told Cesar and [NBCUniversal CEO] Jeff Shell that the time felt right to hang up my cleats,” Griffin wrote. “They were both so gracious and supportive. We’ve been blessed with spectacular talent at every level. I admire the commitment, the camaraderie, the scrappiness, the pure love everyone has for this place. MSNBC is about humanity. The creativity, the compassion, the fact you all care so much. And that is what I will miss the most.”