Get to know Rashida Jones; she is the first black woman to lead a major U.S cable news network. In 2020, she was appointed by the NBCUniversal News Group as president of MSNBC, replacing Phil Griffin, who had been president for 12 years before stepping down in January 2021.
Until the transition, Jones was a senior vice president at NBC News and MSNBC. She oversaw daytime news coverage for the network and breaking news and specials for NBC’s broadcast news division, according to the New York Times. She joined MSNBC 12 years ago and worked at The Weather Channel and a local station before rising to become a senior vice president.
Rashida’s appointment, according to NBC, came following sweeping changes within NBCUniversal. The restructuring saw Cesar Conde take over as chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, which includes NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, after Andrew Lack stepped down as president of NBC News Group.
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Jones was credited for having “masterfully guided our coverage of the global pandemic, the social justice protests and unrest, Decision 2020, and the two most-viewed Democratic presidential debates in television history.”
Fast forward to 2025, Jones has announced that she is stepping down from the network after 4 years, according to CNN.
“Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses,” Mark Lazarus, the chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, said.
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In a memo to staff, Jones said she made the decision to leave the network “over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey,” according to CNN. Meanwhile, Jones plans to stay on in an advisory role until March.
