Veteran NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander is joining MS NOW, the latest example of the Versant-backed outlet trying to make an aggressive play in hard news, as well as the opinion programming for which it is best known.
Alexander was, until Saturday, NBC News’ chief White House correspondent and a co-anchor of its Saturday “Today” broadcast, an ambitious and logistically challenging set of assignments. At MS NOW, he will anchor the network’s weekday 11 a.m. slot, left open in a recent overhaul of its schedule, and also serve as chief national reporter, and a breaking news anchor. He will also contribute to Versant’s larger portfolio, which includes many hours of sports programming on USA and Golf Channel.
“For more than two decades, Peter has built a reputation for his professionalism, intrepid reporting, and sharp questioning of presidents of both parties. He is one of the most respected and beloved journalists in the Washington press corps, and we are honored to have him join our newsroom,” said Rebecca Kutler, MS NOW’s president, in a memo to staffers Monday. She added: “Whether behind the anchor desk or reporting from the field, Peter is also the rare journalist who can straddle lifestyle, politics, and breaking news with ease. As co-anchor of ‘Saturday Today,’ Peter has demonstrated this unique versatility. He brought compassion and humanity to the weekends, building a connection with viewers, all while leading the network’s White House coverage.”
Alexander in recent months had been searching for a prominent anchor role, knowing that many paths forward at NBC News, such as anchor roles at “Today,” “NBC Nightly News” and “Meet the Press,” were not likely to become available in the near term.
Alexander is the most recent NBC News journalist to join MS NOW. Others include Jacob Soboroff, Vaughn Hillyard , Brandy Zadrozny, David Rohde, Antonia Hylton and Ken Dilanian. When Versant split from NBCUniversal, the separation brought to an end revenue from MS NOW (then MSNBC) and CNBC that could be invested in NBC News newsgathering, and NBC News has shed some staffers in recent months.
Overall, Alexander has logged 15 years on the White House beat and worked “Today” weekends since 2018.Alexander has gained notice for asking reasonable questions of President Trump that for some reason spark blowback. During 2020’s coronavirus pandemic, for example, Alexander asked Trump, then in his first term in the Oval Office, “What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?” Trump lashed out. “I say that you’re a terrible reporter!” he retorted.
Alexander initially joined NBC News in 2004, covering a range of stories around the globe and in the U.S. He was assigned to cover the Republican presidential race in 2012 before being named a White House correspondent that year. After a stint as a national correspondent between 2014 and 2016, Alexander returned to the White House beat in 2017, then was named co-chief White House correspondent alongside Kristen Welker. He kept those duties when he was named co-anchor of Saturday “Today” and became the network’s sole chief White House correspondent when Welker was elevated to moderator of “Meet the Press.”
While MS NOW recently awarded new two-hour daytime shifts to Stephanie Ruhle and Alicia Menendez, the network has a long history of offering a one-hour program tied to events in Washington, D.C. Andrea Mitchell hosted such a show when the network was called MSNBC for nearly two decades.
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