MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler has selected Sudeep Reddy, a veteran journalist with an economics background, to lead the network’s new Washington bureau. This appointment marks Kutler’s latest strategic move since taking the helm at MSNBC in February.
Reddy, 45, brings a straight-news pedigree to the left-leaning network, having most recently served as senior managing editor at Politico, where he led a team of approximately 150 journalists. His appointment might surprise some viewers, given his reputation for unbiased reporting that contrasts with MSNBC’s traditionally progressive stance.
Scott Matthews, MSNBC’s senior vice president of newsgathering, announced Thursday that Reddy will begin his role as Washington Bureau Chief on June 16. Matthews’ memo to staff highlighted that Reddy would oversee the creation and leadership of the network’s Washington Bureau and its news operations in D.C., which includes assembling a team to thoroughly report on all facets of the nation’s capital.
Kutler described the MSNBC audience as intellectual and valuing analytical, contextual journalism. He emphasized that the individual in question is set to establish and lead a significant Washington reporting team, which, according to Kutler, aligns with the seriousness of the current moment where impactful reporting holds great importance.
The network has announced plans to hire more than 100 journalists for its new Washington operation, which will include correspondents covering the White House, Capitol Hill, the State Department, the Justice Department, and the Supreme Court. This expansion comes as MSNBC prepares for its impending split from NBC News and other NBCUniversal assets later this year.
Matthews noted that Reddy’s appointment signals the importance of original and enterprise reporting for MSNBC’s future. He added that the Washington team would focus not just on happenings inside Washington, but also on how decisions in the capital impact people across the nation and around the world.
Before joining Politico in 2017, Reddy spent nearly a decade at The Wall Street Journal, where he worked as both a reporter and editor, with his coverage deeply rooted in economics. His expertise in Washington policy was likely a key factor in Kutler’s decision to appoint him to this critical role.
During his time at Politico, Reddy introduced a variety of new initiatives, including newsletters, podcasts, live events, and digital content. He also oversaw strategy and operations for Politico Playbook during President Trump’s first term and established the newsroom’s first audio team from scratch.
Reddy also has academic credentials, having served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., from 2014 to 2021. A Texas native, he graduated from Brown University with degrees in biomedical ethics and American history.
The bureau Reddy will oversee was unveiled earlier this year, just weeks before Kutler made headlines by firing Joy Reid as one of her first major decisions as network president. These moves are part of Kutler’s broader strategy for MSNBC, which enjoyed a ratings boost during Trump’s first term but has since experienced audience declines.
Once the split from NBCUniversal is complete, MSNBC will become part of a new company called Versant, which will be comprised entirely of Comcast cable channels. This transition will require MSNBC to build its own newsgathering operation since it will no longer have access to NBC News resources.
The D.C. bureau will be located at the Hall of States building, the same complex where NBC News is currently housed. However, the network has emphasized that it will be separate from the broadcast outlet, which will no longer be a sister network.
In his new role, Reddy will report directly to Matthews and work alongside Erin Zimmerman, vice president of newsgathering. He will oversee a team that is expected to grow to more than 400 employees, substantially larger than the 150-person team he led at Politico.
As MSNBC navigates this transition period, Kutler’s selection of Reddy indicates a possible shift toward more balanced reporting while maintaining the network’s identity. The appointment comes at a critical juncture for MSNBC as it prepares to operate independently while continuing to deliver news coverage to its dedicated audience.
