Kristen Welker

Kristen Welker (born July 1, 1976)[1] is an American television journalist working for NBC News. Based in Washington, D.C.,[2] Welker shares duties alongside alongside Peter Alexander both as the network's co-chief White House correspondent[3] and as co-anchor of Weekend Today, the Saturday edition of Today. She also was a moderator in the second presidential debate with Donald Trump and Joe Biden on October 22, 2020. [4]

Kristen Welker
Welker in 2018
Born (1976-07-01) July 1, 1976
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationHarvard University (BA)
OccupationJournalist
EmployerNBC News
Spouse(s)
John Hughes
​
(m. 2017)​

Early life and education

Welker is the daughter of Harvey and Julie Welker.[5] Her father is an engineer, her mother a real estate agent.[6] Welker's father is white and her mother is African-American.[7][8] She graduated from Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia in 1994 and Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1998.[9][10][11] At Harvard, she majored in history and graduated with honors.[12] Welker also interned for Today in 1997.[13]

Career

Welker has worked at ABC affiliates WLNE-TV (2003–2005)[14] in Providence, Rhode Island, and KRCR-TV in Redding, California. She joined NBC in 2005 at their Philadelphia owned-and-operated station, WCAU, where she was a reporter and weekend anchor. She then joined NBC News in 2010 as a correspondent based at the NBC News West Coast Headquarters in Burbank, California. She became an NBC White House correspondent in December 2011.

Welker regularly represents MSNBC at daily White House press briefings and reports live for various programs on the network. She occasionally fills in on NBC Nightly News and Today. On January 10, 2020, NBC announced that Welker would become the regular co-anchor of Weekend Today alongside Peter Alexander. She debuted as co-anchor on Weekend Today on January 11, 2020.[15] In September 2020, she was honored with the award for Outstanding Journalist in Broadcast Television at the Washington Women in Journalism Awards.[16]

Personal life

Welker married John Hughes, a marketing executive with Merck,[17][18] on March 4, 2017 in Philadelphia.[19][20] Welker is not registered with any political party.[21]

References
  1. Welker, Kristen [@kwelkernbc] (July 1, 2015). "Thanks so much! "@ happy. We share with Pam Anderson and Lady Diana. Solid company."" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2016 – via Twitter.
  2. "Kristen Welker". NBC News. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  3. Weprin, Alex (January 8, 2021). "NBC News Taps Kristen Welker, Peter Alexander as Chief White House Correspondents". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  4. Bhardwaj, Naina. "Democrats and Republicans are praising Kristen Welker for keeping control in the final debate between Trump and Biden". Business Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  5. Dillon, Hugh E. (August 30, 2010). "Jonas Brothers Play Ball in Camden – Plus today's Snoop Dogg appearance, a farewell party for NBC 10′s Kristen Welker, and D.A. Seth Williams sings for his supper". Philadelphia.
  6. Gross, Dan (August 19, 2010). "Go West Young Kristen Welker". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 28.
  7. Kahn, Mattie (June 3, 2020). "8 Journalists on Reporting While Black, With the Weight of History on Their Shoulders". Glamour. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  8. Welker, Kristen (June 3, 2020). "Thank you ⁦@glamourmag ⁩for the chance to contribute: 8 Journalists on Reporting While Black, With the Weight of History on Their Shoulders". Twitter. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  9. Shister, Gail (December 20, 2011). "Kristen Welker's New Gig: Hanging Out With the Obamas – The Philly native and NBC10 alum joined the White House press corps". Philadelphia.
  10. Shister, Gail (August 19, 2010). "Brian Williams, Matt Lauer ... Kristen Welker? – The Philly-bred reporter is headed for the big leagues as a national correspondent for "Nightly News"". Philadelphia.
  11. "Harvard Alumni Directory". Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  12. Clifford, Patricia (August 31, 2010). "Family Celebrates Welker's Career Move". The Philadelphia Tribune. p. 8B.
  13. Stump, Scott. "Once a Today Intern, Kristen Welker Now Anchors Weekend Today". NBC Boston. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  14. "Presidential debate moderator Kristen Welker a familiar face in Rhode Island". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  15. Corinthios, Aurelie (January 10, 2020). "Kristen Welker to Co-Anchor NBC's Weekend Today: 'So Proud of You,' Says Savannah Guthrie". People.
  16. "7th Annual Washington Women in Journalism Awards Honorees Announced | Washingtonian (DC)". Washingtonian. September 8, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. "The Interview: NBC's Kristen Welker is home for the DNC". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 23, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  18. "Meet 2020 Debate Moderator Kristen Welker's Husband, John Hughes". YourTango. September 3, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  19. Foster, Brooke Lea (March 10, 2017). "For NBC's Kristen Welker, Love Took Its Time". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  20. Welker, Kristen. "Kristen Welker on Instagram: "Five years ago this week I met my best friend, my prince and my partner forever. I love that we celebrate our first date every year – it's..."". Instagram. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  21. McCarthy, Bill (October 20, 2020). "Fact-checking false claims about debate moderator Kristen Welker of NBC". Politifact. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
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