Judy Woodruff Named Solo Anchor of PBS NewsHour

By Chris Ariens 

18 months after the death of PBS NewsHour co-anchor Gwen Ifill, today the show named managing editor Judy Woodruff solo anchor of the nightly broadcast.

“I am thrilled every day with the opportunity to work with the NewsHour team, dedicated to serious, fair and in-depth journalism,” said Woodruff. “Also every day, I miss Gwen Ifill and I hope I carry on in a way that honors her legacy.”

PBS also announced Amna Nawaz, recently brought on from ABC News, will be Woodruff’s substitute at the anchor desk. Nick Schifrin is also joining the nightly broadcast as foreign affairs and defense correspondent. Schifrin has spent the last two and a half years creating week-long series for NewsHour from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

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“I’m excited and humbled to join the NewsHour, a place built on its commitment to providing clear, credible information every day,” added Nawaz. Schifrin added, “NewsHour’s coverage of foreign affairs is among television’s most thoughtful and insightful, and I am humbled by the opportunity to continue the broadcast’s excellent legacy and help expand its ambition and reach.”

Woodruff and Ifill were named co-anchors of the show in 2013, making them the first all-female anchor team on network TV. They had been filling in on the broadcast since 2009, when Jim Lehrer cut back his anchoring. Lehrer stepped down from the broadcast in 2011 following a 36-year career with NewsHour.

PBS NewsHour saw a +12 percent increase in its average nightly audience in 2017 vs. 2016.

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