Norah O’Donnell is leaving the anchor desk at CBS Evening News on January 24. CBS News announced Nora’s exit on Friday. This will wrap up Nora’s time of over five years, during which the show was based in Washington, D.C.
In July, O’Donnell shared plans to step down after the 2024 presidential election to move into a new position as senior correspondent, focusing on important interviews. Her last broadcast will happen just four days after Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term as president on January 20.
The change will also introduce John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois as the new main anchors of the CBS Evening News, starting January 27. The program will go back to its long-time home base in New York after five years in Washington, D.C.
“I have spent twelve years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the challenges of a nonstop news cycle,” Nora said in July.
“It’s time for something new. This presidential election will be my seventh as a journalist and many of us look at our careers through these big events.”
According to her July statement, she mentioned that she would still contribute to “Evening News” and “60 Minutes,” as a correspondent.
During her time there, O’Donnell did major interviews with global figures like Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Benjamin Netanyahu and Hillary Clinton. She is also one of the few journalists who has interviewed every living U.S. president.
O’Donnell played an important role in CBS’s election coverage by co-moderating the vice presidential debate for 2024 and leading exclusive talks with key political figures such as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Known for her brave reporting work has earned her many awards including Emmy Awards and a duPont-Columbia Award.
Before joining CBS Evening News, she co-anchored CBS This Morning and was chief White House correspondent for CBS News. O’Donnell started her career at NBC News working on Today, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News. A native from Washington D.C., she graduated from Georgetown University & is known for her commitment to journalistic honesty & storytelling that connects with audiences.
