Joy Reid Becomes Cable’s 1st Black Female Primetime Anchor

Joy Reid Becomes Cable’s 1st Black Female Primetime Anchor

Joy Reid, 51, has joined the lineup of a handful of black women to anchor a major American news program.

Joy Reid became a household name after her harsh criticism of President Trump and commentary on liberal politics and race.

Joy Reid previously hosted MSNBC’s weekend talk show “AM Joy” since 2016 as well as served as a correspondent and hosted the MSNBC afternoon show the Reid Report.  She will now fill Chris Matthews’ 7 p.m. slot on MSNBC, making her cable’s first Black female primetime anchor, beginning July 20th.

Other black women who hold similar positions include Gayle King of CBS and Robin Roberts of ABC.  Both have leading roles in morning and daytime television but do not host a nightly evening show on a major network.

Joy Reid will host The Reid Out. The D.C.-based show,

“will feature one-on-one conversations with politicians and newsmakers while addressing provocative political issues both inside and outside of the beltway.”

MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement,

“I’m thrilled to have Joy on five nights a week, she’s thoughtful and brings so much depth to her reporting. She’s made for this moment.”

The married mom of 3 says this is a unique position as a black woman,

“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.”

Joy Reid adds that she looks forward to building on bringing in diverse and accomplished voices to the table,

“I’m honored and thankful for this opportunity. 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.”

Joy Reid became one of the fill-in hosts after longtime anchor of Hardball, Chris Matthews abruptly resigned from his position in March. His joint decision to leave the network came after a string of allegations where women came forward with claims of inappropriate comments. Chris Mathews said,

“After a conversation with MSNBC, I decided tonight will be my last ‘Hardball,’ so let me tell you why,The younger generation’s out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, in media, in fighting for their causes. They’re improving the workplace.”

Last year President Trump said of Joy Reid,

“Who the hell is Joy-Ann Reid? Never met her, she knows ZERO about me, has NO talent, and truly doesn’t have the “it” factor needed for success in showbiz. Had a bad reputation, and now works for the Comcast/NBC losers making up phony stories about me. Low Ratings. Fake News!”

What are your thoughts on Joy Reid’s history-making move? Let us know in the comments!