{"id":219396,"date":"2022-10-20T11:19:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T15:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=219396"},"modified":"2022-10-20T12:06:31","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T16:06:31","slug":"msnbc-president-rashida-jones-named-inaugural-recipient-of-media-leadership-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2022\/10\/20\/msnbc-president-rashida-jones-named-inaugural-recipient-of-media-leadership-award\/","title":{"rendered":"MSNBC President Rashida Jones Named Inaugural Recipient of Media Leadership Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

On October 27, the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University will present the inaugural \u201cMedia Leadership Award\u201d to Rashida Jones, President of MSNBC.<\/p>\n

The award will be presented at a ceremony that is free and open to the University community and general public. Tickets can be reserved via Eventbrite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The award builds upon the legacy of the previous \u201cAllen B. DuMont Broadcaster of the Year Award\u201d which for 30 years honored luminary figures such as Lester Holt, Hallie Jackson, Ian Eagle, Deborah Norville, and many others. The new Media Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have had a significant national impact in the media industry across platforms and genres.<\/p>\n


\nAccording to Keith Strudler, director of the School of Communication and Media, nobody better exemplifies the spirit of excellence of this award than Rashida Jones. \u201cIn creating this award, we knew our inaugural winner had to embody innovation and excellence across a diverse media ecology, someone who leads across an expansive breadth of content forms and distribution platforms. That is Rashida Jones. She is a shining exemplar of our School\u2019s pursuit of excellence.\u201d\n

Jones became the first Black executive to lead a major television news network when she was named president of MSNBC. She is responsible for oversight of all programming, editorial units, business development and technical operations as well as MSNBC Films, a division of MSNBC that produces and acquires documentary features and short films for distribution across the NBCUniversal News Group platforms. Jones also oversaw the launch of the MSNBC hub on Peacock marking the expansion of MSNBC\u2019s streaming footprint.<\/p><\/div>

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\"Rashida
MSNBC President Rashida Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/p><\/div>
\nBefore becoming president of MSNBC, Jones served as senior vice president, NBC News and MSNBC. Earlier in her career, she was the news director for the No. 1 NBC affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina. She was also director of live programming at the Weather Channel, where she led coverage of some of the nation\u2019s most historic weather events, including Hurricane Katrina. Jones has been recognized with countless awards, including this year being named one of the \u201cMost Powerful People in New York Media\u201d by The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> and receiving Hampton University\u2019s 2022 Outstanding Twenty-Year Alumnus Award.<\/p>\n

The October 27 event will be held in the School of Communication and Media\u2019s Presentation Hall. The presentation of the award will be followed by a conversation between Jones and\u00a0Strudler\u00a0where they will discuss her career, the state of American news, and her perspectives on the industry\u2019s continued evolution. The event will also be streamed live on the University\u2019s new streaming service Hawk Plus (hawkplus.tv<\/a>).<\/p>\n