Joy Reid becomes first black woman to anchor MSNBC’s evening news show

Joy Reid, an American television host, has been named as the anchor for ‘The ReidOut,’ an evening show programme on MSNBC.

The programme, billed to make its debut on July 20, would see Reid become the first black woman to anchor a news show for MSNBC.

‘The ReidOut’ will take over the time slot from ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’.

Matthews,  74, had in March retired after anchoring the show for years amid allegations of sexist workplace behaviour and several on-air missteps.

Reid joined MSNBC as a contributor in 2011. She had hosted several shows for the TV network including ‘AM Joy’, and ‘The Reid Report’.

In a statement on Thursday, the MSNBC commended her contribution’s to the company over the years.

“I’m thrilled to have Joy on five nights a week. She’s thoughtful and brings so much depth to her reporting. She’s made for this moment,” Phil Griffin, MSNBC President, was quoted to have said.

MSNBC said the programme will “feature one-on-one conversations with politicians and newsmakers while addressing provocative political issues both inside and outside of the beltway”.

The development comes amid renewed calls for diversity in newsrooms and other strategic positions in the media landscape across the globe.

Reacting, Reid described the feat as a dream come true and expressed optimism that the show would avail her the opportunity to draw attention to major issues.

“I’m honoured and thankful for this opportunity. I’ll always be proud of the work we did on ‘AM Joy’ by pushing the envelope and tackling pragmatic conversations,” she said in a statement.

“I’m eager to carry that same energy into the 7 pm hour where we can continue to build on bringing in diverse, smart, and accomplished voices to the table on topics that are important to our viewers.”