Howard University recently announced that MSNBC host Joy Reid will be joining the school's faculty as a Hearst visiting professor within the Department of Media, Journalism and Film in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

For the spring semester in 2021, Reid will be teaching a journalism master class for juniors and seniors titled, "Covering Race, Gender & Politics in the Digital Age."

The class will feature in-depth discussions about how outlets cover race, gender and politics in an increasingly sensationalized and segregated news landscape. 

In a statement, the HBCU said the course would cover how the rise of digital news has changed media coverage, particularly when it comes to Black people and specifically Black voters. "Racial roots of journalistic objectivity vs. fairness," are other topics that will be explored.

“Joy Reid is a great addition to our faculty as Hearst Visiting Professor in Spring 2021," said Gracie Lawson-Borders, dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. “Ms. Reid brings a depth and breadth of experience on the current media and political landscape to examine issues in a digitally enhanced academic and professional environment.”

Reid rose through the ranks at MSNBC, working her way up from being a political commentator to hosting her own morning show on the channel called, AM Joy. She gained significant notoriety for her criticism of President Donald Trump and her coverage of former President Barack Obama's administration. 

In March, MSNBC tapped her to replace controversial host Chris Matthews in the highly-viewed 7 p.m. time slot.

Her show, The ReidOut, started in July and made her one of the few Black women to ever have a nightly political show. She was the first Black woman to host an evening politics program since Gwen Ifill co-anchored the “PBS NewsHour” until her passing in 2016, although CBS' Gayle King and ABC's Robin Roberts both host morning shows. 

“Evening and prime-time news has been a universe of white men really since I was growing up. For somebody who grew up as a nerdy kid obsessed with news, watching ‘Nightline’ and ‘Meet the Press,’ the idea of being a part of that family has always just been kind of overwhelming,” Reid told The New York Times in July. 

Howard University professor and former CNN executive producer Jennifer Thomas said she was excited for Reid to join their staff and impart her decades of wisdom on students. 

“We are so honored to have Ms. Reid as a Hearst visiting professor. As the only Black woman to anchor a prime-time news show on any major network, she will be able to share her unique perspective with our Howard students on timely and critical issues during this pivotal time in history,” Thomas said. 

Reid has written two books and spent years as a TV and radio host in Florida after graduating from Harvard. She served as managing editor of The Grio before joining MSNBC in 2011 as a commentator. 

In a statement, she said the news business was changing drastically. 

“Particularly in this era of virtual media, and deep partisanship and political division, it’s never been more important that journalists incorporate a thorough and honest historical context in our coverage," Reid said. "I can’t wait to interact with the brilliant students at Howard and share ideas with them on how we as an industry can be better and do better.” 

Howard-universityJournalism-Professorjoy reid