Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC announced on Tuesday that reporter and columnist Tanzina Vega has been named as host of The Takeaway, the nationally-syndicated public radio news program heard on 250 stations around the country. She begins on May 7.
Vega joins The Takeaway from CNN, where she covered race and inequality. Prior, Vega was a reporter on the national desk at The New York Times, where she crafted the race beat for the publication with pieces about topics including the protests in Ferguson, racial tension on college campuses, and profiles of minority comics for a video series called, "Off Color." In 2017 Vega was named an Eisner Fellow at The Nation Institute and was a Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University. Her forthcoming book, “Uppity," about American women of color and the barriers they face both professionally and socially, will be published in 2019.
Vega’s reporting has consistently explored the intersection of national news, race and inequality, and the media, earning her accolades from NPR’s Code Switch, HuffPost, and Refinery29 among many others. She will infuse this perspective into The Takeaway, offering news analysis and leading conversations that bring top news-makers, journalists, and marginalized voices from all sides of the political spectrum to the table.
“At this critical moment in our nation’s history, when America is so polarized, public media has an opportunity and a mandate to bring people together to debate, discuss, and share experiences and perspectives that have been buried for too long,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC. “With her deep expertise unpacking tough subjects with thoughtful insight and analysis, Tanzina is the perfect person to lead this urgent national conversation.”
Todd Zwillich will continue to serve as interim host until May 4.
“We’re grateful to Todd Zwillich for being a skillful interim host and a trusted voice as we conducted this search,” Walker added.
“Since its inception, The Takeaway has sought out voices from across the country to provide context for and perspective on the day’s news,” said Alisa Miller, President and CEO, Public Radio International. "Tanzina’s deep curiosity about the intersection of people’s lives and events will extend this tradition in new ways, deepening understanding across different points of view.”
"I am delighted to lead The Takeaway into this new cultural and editorial chapter,” said Vega. “I am looking forward to engaging with both lifelong radio public radio fans as well as emerging audiences in shaping the national conversation with nuance, creativity and integrity. I can't wait to get started.”
