Jim Lehrer announced Thursday that he will be stepping down from his regular anchor role on PBS' NewsHour.
Beginning June 6, Lehrer will no longer be part of the daily anchor team, but he still plans to moderate the weekly analysis segment featuring columnists Mike Shields and David Brooks every Friday. Lehrer will also continue to be involved with NewsHour’s editorial direction and with its producer, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.
According to a PBS statement, Lehrer said that his decision was based on "the complete integration of the NewsHour’s on-air and online operations," which has led to audience growth, and "his complete confidence in the current NewsHour team, both on- and off-camera, to continue producing the nightly program and its companion website as a haven for 'MacNeil/Lehrer journalism.'"
"I have been laboring in the glories of daily journalism for 52 years—36 of them here at the NewsHour and its earlier incarnations," Lehrer said, "and there comes a time to step aside from the daily process, and that time has arrived."
