From Lester Holt to Norah O’Donnell, Why Are Anchors Leaving the News Desk?
Lester Holt’s announcement that he will soon step down as anchor of NBC Nightly News is the latest in a series of departures. His exit comes at a time when national TV news media is facing significant challenges and could use strong leadership.
Lester Holt, widely respected for his ability to anchor live broadcasts for extended periods during major breaking news events, has announced that he will be stepping away from his role as anchor of NBC Nightly News. Moving forward, he intends to focus his efforts on the newsmagazine program Dateline.
His departure from the widely watched 30-minute nightly newscast, which continues to attract millions of viewers, is part of a broader trend of high-profile exits in the television news industry. Holt’s decision follows several other major departures from network news in recent months.
Before him, Chuck Todd made headlines when he officially left NBC News earlier this year, following his 2023 departure from the moderator chair at Meet the Press. In January, longtime Today co-host Hoda Kotb also stepped away from her role. Additionally, Norah O’Donnell recently bid farewell to CBS Evening News, with her final broadcast airing just last month.
These changes come at a time of significant upheaval within the media landscape, particularly in television news. MSNBC has also undergone a major restructuring, which includes the departure of two of its prominent weeknight anchors, Joy Reid and Alex Wagner.
With so many experienced journalists and familiar faces stepping away from their roles, the national TV news industry finds itself at a crossroads, navigating shifts in leadership, audience engagement, and the evolving demands of modern journalism.
The steady decline of TV news, driven by the rise of the internet and social media, and further fueled by a political figure who has openly targeted the press, means that every new hire in the industry inevitably faces a diminished reputation compared to their predecessors. This is a natural consequence of the situation: Lester Holt served as the anchor of NBC Nightly News for a decade, having previously anchored the weekend edition for seven years. Whoever replaces him will obviously not have the same level of trust and rapport with the audience that Holt established over his long tenure.
However, the bigger issue is that many viewers may not even give Holt’s successor a chance. For those who, since Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, have internalized the idea that the media is the enemy of the people, the departure of someone like Holt feels like yet another loss of a remaining connection to credible journalism. These viewers may now feel that yet another link to the truth has been severed, making it even harder to trust what comes next.
Holt, Todd, Kotb, and O’Donnell all started their careers in TV news well before the Trump era. This meant they had built a foundation of credibility, which was important even among viewers who became more skeptical of the media due to the current president’s outspoken disdain for journalists. A newcomer, however, doesn’t have this advantage and must work hard to establish both a reputation and a solid track record. This task is complicated not only by a distracted audience but also by the prevailing anti-institutional sentiment that has intensified in recent years.
Take NBC’s Today show, for example. Craig Melvin, who replaced Kotb, is already somewhat familiar to viewers as he had been a part of the program before his promotion. However, he faces the challenge of becoming a household name in a media environment where attention is fleeting and easily diverted. Achieving this status will require time, effort, and possibly a less frenetic news cycle, which has yet to materialize.
It’s understandable why someone like Holt or O’Donnell might find the idea of leaving the daily demands of newscasting appealing. O’Donnell, for example, has transitioned into a senior correspondent role, which gives her the flexibility to focus on high-profile assignments across CBS News platforms. Similarly, Holt can now dedicate more time to impactful journalism outside the routine of daily broadcasts.
Interestingly, O’Donnell’s employer seems to view the role of chief news anchor as less central to its operations. Rather than hiring a single replacement, CBS opted for a co-anchor approach with Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, shifting the emphasis away from the anchor reading the teleprompter and toward the correspondents reporting from the field.
It’s common for some commentators to get somewhat nostalgic or idealistic—after all, the CBS anchor position was once held by Walter Cronkite, whose broadcasts guided the nation through some of its most turbulent times. But in today’s turbulent world, what stands out is not just the absence of a unifying figure like Cronkite (a gap that has existed for years), but also the fact that those who might have come close are now stepping away. While many aspects of the TV industry are cyclical, the gradual decline in the relevance of TV news now feels much more abrupt and unsettling. It’s easy to understand why its high-profile figures are looking to step off the fast-moving ride, but it’s harder to grasp what that means for the rest of us—both the viewers at home and an electorate that is becoming increasingly disconnected from the truth.
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