MSNBC Announces Longtime President Phil Griffin Will Be Replaced by Rashida Jones

Longtime MSNBC President Phil Griffin will step down in January, and will be succeeded by network VP Rashida Jones, NBC announced Monday. Jones will become the first Black woman to lead a major cable news agency, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Griffin will be departing from NBC altogether, having been with MSNBC since its founding and the network’s president since 2008. Jones will take over Feb. 1, according to a staff memo sent by NBC News Group chair Cesar Conde. She currently oversees NBC and MSNBC’s breaking news coverage. “She has an outstanding track-record and she leads with a laser-like focus and grace under pressure,” Conde wrote. “I know she will be an excellent leader for MSNBC.”