Rashida Jones, the first Black executive to lead a major U.S. television news network, announced her resignation as president of MSNBC, effective March 2025. For four years, she led the prominent channel through a turbulent yet triumphant era.
Jones announced the news during a meeting with top MSNBC anchors and staff on Tuesday morning. She expressed pride in her accomplishments and gratitude for her team. “This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career, and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you,” she stated in an internal memo.
Leading The Way
Since taking the helm in February 2021 amid President Joe Biden’s inauguration and the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Jones has successfully guided MSNBC through formidable challenges and capitalized on significant opportunities. She led the network to record ratings triumphs during critical political events and negotiated long-term contracts with star anchors, including Rachel Maddow.
As a testament to her impact, Jones initiated a live event series, relaunched the network’s mobile app and premium subscription service, and expanded investments in digital offerings. Under her leadership, MSNBC maintained its status as the second-most-watched cable news network, averaging 807,000 viewers daily and 1.3 million in prime-time hours despite a dip in post-election ratings.
The announcement follows Comcast’s decision to spin off several cable networks into a new publicly traded company called SpinCo. SpinCo will include MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel.
Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s senior vice president of content strategy, has been appointed interim president. Jones recruited Kutler, who had previously worked at CNN for two decades, to join the network in 2022.
A Hampton Graduate
Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Media-Arts Broadcast from Hampton University, where she established a scholarship in her name. In 2019, she was inducted into the Hampton University Scripps Howard Journalism School Hall of Fame, recognizing her exceptional contributions to journalism.
As Jones prepares to transition to an advisory role until March, her departure marks both an end and a beginning. It signals new leadership within MSNBC while reflecting her remarkable contributions to the network and the broader media landscape.
