Savannah Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie is an American broadcast journalist and attorney who serves as the co-anchor of NBC's flagship morning program, Today. She also holds the title of Chief Legal Analyst for NBC News, a role that leverages her background in law. Guthrie is known for her incisive political interviews and has moderated several high-profile events, including a presidential debate and candidate forums. Her career at NBCUniversal has also included anchoring early morning news and contributing to major political coverage for MSNBC.

Early life and education

Savannah Clark Guthrie was born in Melbourne, Australia, where her father was stationed with the United States Air Force. The family returned to the United States, and she was raised primarily in Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from Amphitheater High School before attending the University of Arizona, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. Initially pursuing a career in broadcast news, Guthrie later decided to study law, obtaining a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C..

Career

Guthrie began her television career as a reporter for the CBS affiliate KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona. She later worked as an anchor and reporter for KMIZ in Columbia, Missouri, and for WRC-TV, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Washington, D.C.. In 2007, she joined Court TV (later TruTV) as a legal correspondent. Her significant national break came when she was hired by NBC News in 2007 as a correspondent, frequently appearing on MSNBC programs. She gained prominence as the network's White House Correspondent during the administration of President Barack Obama. In 2011, she was named co-anchor of the early morning program NBC News at Sunrise and a national correspondent for Today. Following the departure of Ann Curry, Guthrie was named the third co-anchor of the main Today show in 2012 alongside Matt Lauer. She has since conducted landmark interviews with figures like Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Taylor Swift, and moderated a Democratic presidential primary debate in 2020. Her role as Chief Legal Analyst has seen her provide analysis on major stories for NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press.

Personal life

Guthrie was first married to journalist Mark Orchard from 2005 to 2009. In 2014, she married Michael Feldman, a former advisor to Vice President Al Gore and co-founder of the Glover Park Group consulting firm. The couple has two children, a daughter and a son, and resides in New York City. She is a practicing Christian and has spoken publicly about her faith. Guthrie serves on the board of directors for the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization founded by actress Mariska Hargitay to support survivors of sexual assault.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career, Guthrie has received several accolades for her journalism. She is a recipient of the Gracie Award for Outstanding Anchor from the Alliance for Women in Media. Her work on the Today show has contributed to the program winning multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program. In 2020, she was honored with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University. She has also been recognized by the Associated Press and the Radio Television Digital News Association for her reporting.

Published works

Guthrie is a co-author of the children's book Princesses Wear Pants, illustrated by Eva Byrne and published by Abrams Books in 2017. The book, which encourages themes of empowerment and versatility, debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list. She followed this success with a sequel, Princesses Save the World, in 2018. Both books are inspired by her daughter and aim to present modern, active role models for young girls.

Category:American television journalists Category:NBC News people Category:1971 births Category:Living people