WBEZ announced early May 7 that program host and Oak Park resident Jenn White is leaving Chicago public radio for a national gig, hosting the NPR show “1A” in Washington, D.C. White is replacing Joshua Johnson, who left public radio for an anchor spot with MSNBC.
White joined WBEZ in 2016 and hosts its two-hour show “Reset with Jenn White,” which runs weekdays at 11 a.m. During her WBEZ tenure, White also hosted the station’s acclaimed podcasts “Making Oprah” and “Making Obama.” She also hosted “16 Shots,” a podcast about the 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald made in partnership with the Chicago Tribune and WBEZ.
“Like many Oak Parkers, Jenn brings a deep sense of discovery and civic purpose to all that she does, which has made her such an important part of WBEZ and the broader Chicago community,” said Steve Edwards, interim WBEZ CEO and Oak Park resident.
White’s Chicago-area fans will still be able to listen to her on WBEZ, which airs the national “1A” at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. weekdays.
“While all of us at WBEZ are sad to lose her as a member of our team, we’re truly excited for her – and can’t wait to hear her continue to share her warmth and insight weekday mornings at 10 a.m. as the host of ‘1A,'” Edwards said.
White will make her WBEZ departure June 12 and begin hosting “1A” early the following month.
This story has been updated to include an updated statement from Steve Edwards.
