Joy Reid left MSNBC on February 24, 2025, as the network canceled The ReidOut. That same day, Lester Holt announced that he would step away from anchoring NBC’s weekday Nightly News, move into a full-time Dateline NBC role and remain with NBC. The announcements happened on the same date, but the available reporting does not establish that they were connected.
What happened to Joy Reid and The ReidOut?
MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler announced in a staff memo on February 24, 2025, that Reid was leaving the network and that The ReidOut was ending. The Associated Press reported that Reid’s final episode aired that night.
The weeknight program had occupied MSNBC’s 7 p.m. Eastern hour since 2020. Reid did not receive a specific next television role in the contemporaneous reporting available here.
Why is Joy Reid leaving MSNBC?
No definitive reason for Reid’s departure was established in the February 24 reporting. The confirmed explanation is a network programming overhaul that included the cancellation of The ReidOut and changes to other MSNBC shows.
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In remarks on a call streamed by Win With Black Women and reported by the Associated Press, Reid defended the program’s work, saying, “My show had value,” and, “I am not sorry that I stood up for those things.” Those comments describe her view of the show; they do not provide MSNBC’s stated reason for ending it.
What other MSNBC changes were announced?
- Jen Psaki was set to move to the Tuesday–Friday 9 p.m. slot.
- Alex Wagner was leaving her existing nighttime slot while remaining with MSNBC as a senior political analyst.
- Rotating hosts were expected to cover Reid’s hour temporarily before a new ensemble program was introduced.
- The network also announced changes affecting Miami-based programs and plans to consolidate operations in New York and Washington, D.C.
These changes place Reid’s exit within a broader lineup and operational reorganization rather than documenting a stated dispute or a single confirmed cause.
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What did Lester Holt announce?
In a February 24 note to NBC News colleagues, Holt said he would step away from his weekday NBC Nightly News anchor role after 10 years. He said he would continue anchoring the broadcast until around the start of summer, a transition also described by NBC News EVP of Programming Janelle Rodriguez.
Holt planned to remain at NBC and take on Dateline NBC as a full-time anchor. He wrote: “After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of Nightly News.” He added that he would expand his presence on Dateline and craft episodes about subjects he cared deeply about.
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Rodriguez said in an NBC-published staff update, “Quite simply, Lester is the beating heart of this news organization.”
How the two announcements compare
| Issue | Joy Reid | Lester Holt |
|---|---|---|
| Employment outcome | Leaving MSNBC | Remaining with NBC |
| Program outcome | The ReidOut ended; AP reported the final episode aired February 24, 2025 | Transitioning from the weekday Nightly News anchor role |
| Stated next step | No specific next role established in the reporting cited here | Full-time anchoring and expanded work on Dateline NBC |
| Timing | Departure announced February 24, 2025 | Transition announced February 24, 2025; Nightly News work planned through around early summer |
Were Reid’s exit and Holt’s announcement connected?
The evidence supports only a same-day coincidence. The Associated Press and NBC News accounts establish that both announcements occurred on Monday, February 24, 2025. They do not provide a precise hour-by-hour sequence that independently proves an “hours after” interval, and they do not report that NBC’s and MSNBC’s decisions were coordinated or related.
It is therefore accurate to say that Reid’s MSNBC departure and Holt’s NBC transition were announced on the same day. It is not supported to claim that Holt’s announcement caused Reid’s exit, that the networks made a joint decision, or that ratings, politics, contracts or corporate strategy explain both events.
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What is confirmed—and what remains unknown?
- Confirmed: MSNBC canceled The ReidOut and announced Reid’s departure.
- Confirmed: AP reported that Reid’s last episode aired February 24, 2025.
- Confirmed: Holt announced a move away from the weekday Nightly News anchor chair, a full-time Dateline role and continued employment at NBC.
- Confirmed: MSNBC announced additional schedule and organizational changes.
- Not established: MSNBC’s definitive reason for Reid’s departure, any contractual details, or a connection between the two announcements.
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