Joy Reid has been tapped to take over the 7 p.m. time slot on MSNBC, recently vacated by Chris Matthews, on July 20 with The ReidOut, the network announced Thursday.
Reid will be MSNBC's first Black anchor in prime time.
Here’s a statement Reid gave to The New York Times about her show:
Evening and prime-time news has been a universe of white men really since I was growing up. 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…I am a Black mom, a Black woman, a Black daughter. I am also a journalist who can conceptualize that pain from a unique point of view. Every day I’m in this job, I’m very conscious of that responsibility to make that collective voice heard. It’s unique to do that as a Black woman.
Reid previously hosted the daytime MSNBC show The Reid Report and has been a political columnist, blogger and commentator, as well as managing editor of the news site TheGrio.com.
Last month, she hosted the special, The Road to Reform: A Special Report with Joy Reid, which aired in the 7 PM time slot.
In a statement, Reid said, “I’ll always be proud of the work we did on AM Joy by pushing the envelope and tackling pragmatic conversations. I’m eager to carry that same energy into the 7 p.m. hour where we can continue to build on bringing in diverse, smart, and accomplished voices to the table on topics that are important to our viewers.”
MSNBC president Phil Griffin said that Reid is “thoughtful and brings so much depth to her reporting. She’s made for this moment.”
