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    Rashida Jones to replace Phil Griffin as MSNBC president

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1172 Views
    In this combination photo, Phil Griffin, left, speaks at the NBC Universal summer press tour, Aug. 2, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Rashida Jones poses for a portrait. Griffin is stepping down after 12 years as MSNBC president and will be replaced by Rashida Jones, who has been head of breaking news at NBC and recently directed the network's coverage of the 2020 election. She is the first Black executive to lead a cable news network. (AP Photo, left, and MSNBC via AP)

    By David Bauder, Media Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Phil Griffin is stepping down as the longtime president of MSNBC, to be replaced early next year by rising NBC News executive Rashida Jones.

    Griffin, 64, has worked at NBC News for 35 years and has been president of MSNBC since 2008. With a primetime lineup led by Rachel Maddow, it has become established as the favorite of those wanting news from a liberal perspective.

    Jones, who has been with NBC News for the past seven years, is currently chief of breaking news and major events at the network. She just led the network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the team preparing Kristen Welker as moderator of the third presidential debate.

    She's the first Black executive to lead one of the major cable networks. Cesar Conde, the new chairman of the NBC Universal News Group, has made diversity one of his top priorities.

    "She leads with a laser-like focus and grace under pressure," Conde said.

    Jones takes over on Feb. 1. Her immediate challenge will be leading the network into coverage of the Biden administration; many in the news industry have feared that the exit of President Donald Trump means the time of high ratings for news networks may be coming to an end.

    Griffin is leaving the network, and it's not immediately clear what he'll be doing next.

    "Phil has built something remarkable," Conde said in a memo to NBC News staff. "He leaves the network in the best shape it has ever been. Six straight record years. Each one better than the last."

    Tags:MSNBCPhil GriffinRashida Jones



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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