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Nexstar’s ‘NewsNation’ Hires Fox News Veteran Cherie Grzech

Cherie Grzech, who has managed some asiecta of Fox News’ Washington bureau in recent years, will leave that operation and join NewsNation, the Nexstar Media start-up that has since its launch found the task of getting its footing in national news circles a challenging one.

Grzech will join the network as its managing editor and vice president of news, reporting to Michael Corn, the former “Good Morning America” chief who is president of the operation. She will start her new role on July 19 and move to Chicago from her current roost in Washington, D.C.

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“She has pioneered innovative news gathering and production techniques and forged important partnerships with new media platforms and organizations,” Corn said in a statement. “Most important, Cherie understands that viewers are looking for fact-based journalism they can trust. She will be a great addition to the NewsNation team as we expand our programming.” Corn joined NewsNation last month.

NewsNation, built out of the infrastructure of the cable network once known as WGN America, has struggled since its launch in 2020. Ratings have been lackluster at best — in April and May, the network’s primetime schedule reached an average of just 6,000 viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, according to Nielsen, the demographic most coveted by advertisers — and the business has come under scrutiny since the disclosure that Bill Shine, a former president at Fox News, was working as a consultant to NewsNation senior executives — a fact that had not been immediately revealed to staff. That has led to concerns that, despite its stated mission of providing unbiased reporting from across the country, NewsNation could be influenced by partisan views.

Grzech comes to the operation with years of local-TV experience under her belt, as well as time spent helping Fox News negotiate with Democratic and Republican political operatives. She has worked at WILX-TV in Lansing, Michigan, WRAL-TV in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and KATU-TV in Portland, Oregon. At Fox News, she also worked as senior director of politics.

“There is a tremendous opportunity in the media landscape right now to talk to Americans who just want the news,” said Grzech, in a statement. “Nexstar’s reach is unmatched, and I look forward to working with the skilled journalists across the country to capture and deliver stories that people can trust.” She graduated from Michigan State University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in
Journalism/Political Science. She received her Master’s degree in Journalism/New Media from American University.

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