


Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC after four years with the network.
She will be replaced by Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president of content strategy.
In a memo to staff, Ms. Jones said she’s leaving to “pursue new opportunities.” She will reportedly stay on until March to help with the transition.
“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a 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,” Ms. Jones said in the memo.
Her departure comes after Comcast announced in November that it was spinning off MSNBC and CNBC from NBC News into a new company led by Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.
Ms. Jones was the first Black woman to head a cable news network. She added former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki to host a show, her highest profile addition to the network.
She pushed MSNBC into the second-rated cable news slot behind Fox News, knocking out CNN. However, ratings for left-leaning news networks crashed after the November election.
According to Nielsen ratings, MSNBC’s prime-time viewership fell 54% in the weeks after the election while CNN dropped 45%.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.