University of Missouri grad Juana Summers named co-host of NPR's 'All Things Considered'

Veteran journalist and 2009 University of Missouri graduate Juana Summers was named the next co-host of National Public Radio's hallmark program "All Things Considered," the news organization announced Wednesday.

Summers, whose deep and wide career as a reporter has included stops at The Associated Press, Politico and CNN as well as previous tours at NPR, will join the show June 27, replacing Audie Cornish.

The "All Things Considered" team of hosts includes Ailsa Chang, Mary Louise Kelly, Ari Shapiro and Michel Martin, NPR noted in an article.

Summers, who is Black, takes the position "at a time when questions about diversity, equity and retention have sparked intense discussion inside NPR's newsroom and in public," the article said. Several female hosts of color have left NPR since last year, and the organization has pursued a "notably diverse cadre of hosts since."

Summers stressed her desire to reach and reflect audiences who might not always be included in media narratives.

"One of the things that I'm the most excited about is that every day I get to sit in that seat and be a stand-in for a smart, curious listener who cares deeply about issues and the world around them," she told NPR's Jacqueline GaNun.

In a 2015 MU article, Summers credited School of Journalism professors and editors such as Lynda Kraxberger, Karen Mitchell, Mary Kay Blakely and Katherine Reed as formative influences. The school's "Missouri Method," which allows students to gain real-world reporting experience, stoked her passion for the craft, she testified.

"I’ll never forget working at KBIA-FM on 2008 election coverage. I truly got my first bite of national political news covering the vice presidential announcements that cycle," she told MU.

"All Things Considered" has aired on NPR since 1971, the network noted. Locally, it can be heard from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. on weekends via 91.3 KBIA-FM.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou grad Juana Summers to co-host NPR's 'All Things Considered'