Former CNN Anchor Gets New TV News Job

Nearly a year after announcing her departure from CNN, Laura Jarrett has secured a co-anchor job on NBC News.

August 9, 2023, 1:11pm

Former CNN anchor Laura Jarrett landed a new job at NBC News this week as the co-anchor for Saturday Today. According to a report by Deadline, Jarrett will take over for the departing Kristen Welker and will help usher in a new era for the weekend news program. She will begin on Sept. 9.

Jarrett, 37, spent six years as an on-screen correspondent at CNN covering the Justice Department and the Supreme Court, and she left the network on good terms at the end of 2022. She became a correspondent for NBC News in January, initially covering a very similar beat. Now, she has a chance to set up at a news desk for the long haul, though she is not giving up her time in the field entirely. Jarrett will reportedly continue to work as a senior legal correspondent for NBC News in general.

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Jarrett is taking over the spot on Saturday Today vacated by Welker, who is moving on to a job as the moderator for Meet the Press. Jarrett will co-anchor with Peter Alexander, who will also continue to work as the chief White House correspondent for NBC News. On top of all that, Saturday Today is moving back to Studio 1A in New York City rather than broadcasting from Washington, D.C.

Jarrett gave a statement to Today.com on Wednesday, saying: “When I got the news, I was stunned! It is such a huge honor, and I am so excited about the opportunity. And of course, I’m excited for how much fun Peter and I are going to have together… I think that all of us want to do something that’s smart, but also joyful. We want to have fun with it, and make people come away feeling like they have a little bounce in their step. It’s Saturday!”

On that, Jarrett and her new co-anchor Alexander seemed to agree. He predicted that the Saturday Today audience “is going to love” Jarrett, adding: “It’s been an absolute joy getting to know Laura since she joined our team at NBC News. I’m so thrilled to welcome her as my teammate on Saturday mornings. Not only is she one of the smartest journalists around, she’s so much fun to be with.”

Jarrett begins her tenure on Saturday Today on Sept. 9. The show airs every Saturday morning starting at 8 a.m. ET on NBC.