Lester Holt’s departure indicates an evolving shift in the TV news landscape as social media and streaming become mainstream|Anthony Quintano|CC BY 2.0
Anchor Lester Holt is leaving the NBC Nightly News after a decade behind the desk. He will be joining full-time at the network’s Dateline show, which he has anchored since 2011.
Known for his steady leadership and ability to navigate breaking news, Holt says he is excited to expand his role and craft in-depth investigative reports. Though NBC hasn’t named a successor, Hallie Jackson, Tom Llamas and Peter Alexander are seen as potential candidates.
Since taking the role in 2015, Holt has covered major events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israel-Gaza conflict. He has interviewed leaders like President Donald Trump, former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, former VP Kamala Harris, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
His departure indicates an evolving shift in the TV news landscape as social media and streaming become mainstream and comes amid a wave of senior television news anchors’ exits.
In the past few months, top news readers, including Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Today show’s Hoda Kotb, Fox News veteran Neil Cavuto and CNN’s Chris Wallace, have left their positions.