Kristen Welker and Peter Alexander were named the new chief White House correspondents for NBC News, part of a rejiggering of some of the news unit’s personnel in the nation’s capital as many news outlets prepare to cover a new presidential administration.
In a memo to staffers issued Friday, NBC News President Noah Oppenheim said Hallie Jackson, who has been the news division’s chief White House correspondent, would move to a role as senior Washington correspondent. Jackson will maintain her morning hour broadcasting on MSNBC while also launching a new program aimed for streaming audiences on Peacock and NBC News Now, two broadband-video platforms operated by NBCUniversal.
Meanwhile, Andrea Mitchell, the veteran Washington journalist, will add the role of chief Washington correspondent to her duties as NBC News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent,
Welker and Alexander will continue to co-anchor the Saturday broadcast of NBC News’ “Today,” Oppenheim said. “As if co-anchoring ‘Weekend Today’ together wasn’t enough, this duo’s tenacious reporting has been at the heart of our political coverage for the last two administrations and the White House unit could not be in better hands,” Oppenheim said.
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Many news outlets recalibrate roles as a new president takes to the Oval Office, a move that typically allows some operatives who followed the new leader during the campaign into the White House and gives others the chance to find new beats that are not as intensely demanding.
There are other moves afoot at NBC News. Monica Alba will join the White House team, which also features Geoff Bennett and Kelly O’Donnell. Mike Memoli and Carol Lee will also continue coverage of events related to President Joe Biden. Shannon Pettypiece will continue as senior digital White House reporter, and will be joined by Lauren Egan, a politics reporter who will cover breaking news out of the White House for NBC News digital outlets.
