MSNBC is expected to name Rashida Jones as the network’s president, people familiar with the matter said, a major shake-up at a news channel that has raised its profile with political coverage but struggled to keep pace with rivals this year.
Ms. Jones, who is currently serving as senior vice president for MSNBC News, is succeeding longtime network president Phil Griffin, catapulting her to one of the highest echelons in television news and making her the first Black executive to run a major cable news network. Ms. Jones will officially take over for Mr. Griffin in February, the people said.
MSNBC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The elevation of Ms. Jones is the first significant change made by new NBC News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, who took over the NBCUniversal unit in May. NBCUniversal is a unit of Comcast Corp.
Ms. Jones, who helped oversee coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, has been in NBCUniversal’s news group for seven years, serving as an executive producer and managing editor before being promoted to her current position.
