Andrea Mitchell, the highly regarded chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News, announced her resignation from her full-time role as anchor of “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on MSNBC. Mitchell’s departure, effective Friday, February 7, 2025, came as the network has been dealing with dwindling viewership and major restructuring efforts.
At 78, Mitchell made her decision to leave last autumn, as MSNBC faced increasing pressure to reduce operating costs. “After 16 years of being in the anchor chair every day, I want time to do more of what I love the most: connecting, listening, and reporting in the field,” Mitchell shared with viewers on October 29.
Mitchell’s exit occurred as MSNBC and other legacy media outlets like CNN confronted the growing cord-cutting trend. This shift has forced the network to take significant cost-cutting actions. The financial uncertainty has led many viewers to abandon traditional cable news in favor of streaming platforms.
The budget cuts at the network have not spared its top talent. Notable anchors such as Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle received notifications regarding mandatory salary reductions to keep their roles. Star anchor Rachel Maddow allegedly faced a $5 million cut from her annual $30 million salary, though this was disputed by MSNBC. Jonathan Lemire, who recently moved up to co-host “Morning Joe” from “Way Too Early,” has reportedly been given a new contract with a lower salary.
Mitchell’s exit follows a series of high-profile departures at NBC’s news division. The former “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd recently left after nearly 20 years. In his exit memo, Todd stated, “There’s never a perfect time to leave a place that’s been a professional home for so long, but I’m pretty excited about a few new projects that are on the cusp of going from ‘pie in the sky’ to ‘near reality.’”
Rashida Jones, the first African American woman to head a major television network, also resigned from her position as MSNBC president after a four-year tenure. Her departure coincided with Comcast’s decision to carve out MSNBC and CNBC from NBC News, creating a standalone company under the leadership of executive Mark Lazarus.
During her time at NBC News, which started in 1978, Mitchell covered seven presidential administrations and every presidential campaign since 1980. She has also reported on every national political convention since 1972, cementing her position as a prominent figure in political journalism.
In an internal memo, NBC executives extolled Mitchell as one of the most reliable foreign policy and domestic politics voices, emphasizing her extensive networks and ability to secure high-profile interviews that generate headlines.
When she made her announcement in October 2024, Mitchell underscored the significance of field reporting, highlighting that the winner of the upcoming election would face two ongoing wars abroad and deep political divisions at home.
Although Mitchell is leaving her daily anchor role, she will retain her positions as NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent and chief Washington correspondent, which she has held since 1994. She will continue to report across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms, contributing to breaking news coverage and significant political events. No replacement for “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” the network’s longest-running daytime program launched in 2008, has been announced by MSNBC yet.
