PBS NewsHour is looking at a revamp of the venerable evening news program as Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz will take the anchor jobs of the program when the calendar flips to January.
Bennett has served as the show’s chief Washington correspondent and weekend anchor, while Nawaz was the chief correspondent and substitute anchor. They will step into the shoes voided by Judy Woodruff who is leaving the show after a decade at the anchor desk.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair was asked about what it means to now helm the PBS news program.
“Well, I’m deeply honored to be entrusted with this responsibility. I’m excited to partner with Amna in building on its rich legacy,” said Bennett. “The NewsHour is special in that it is a news program with a mission. And I’m really proud to work with such a stellar group of journalists day in and day out in pursuit of that mission, which is providing reliable reporting, solid storytelling and sharp analysis of the news and the issues of the day. And it’s a program with a nearly 50-year history, and so the idea that I get to have a hand in writing the next chapter of that is just, I’m deeply honored. “
Nawaz said she’s “honored and humbled” to take a permanent seat at the desk.
“I am so excited to be doing this and especially alongside Geoff. But, you know, the thing that strikes me is that there’s only ever been four people who’ve sat in that chair. And I think the weight of that is something that’s very real to both of us. The reason that the NewsHour is the most trusted and credible brand in journalism today is because of the mission-focus work and because of the fact that we seek to add light and not heat, and I think Geoff and I have always practiced our journalism that way. That will continue, and that’s what our team has always done.
“For me personally, to be able to step into this role after working with this team for the last four years, it’s pure joy. I mean, there’s never been a more critical and important time to be a journalist in our modern American history. I think we all recognize what’s at stake. But I’ve always been a big believer in the idea that the good stuff rises to the top, and in a crowded and messy media landscape. NewsHour is — and we are who we are — because of the work we do.”
Bennett and Nawaz begin their assignments on Monday, January 2nd.
