Veteran journalist April Ryan is joining Byron Allen’s forthcoming TheGrio.TV as White House correspondent and Washington, D.C. bureau chief.
Ryan previously spent more than two decades as a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, and has covered four U.S. presidents throughout the span of her career. President-elect Joe Biden will be the fifth U.S. president she has covered.
“Award-winning White House correspondent April Ryan is a phenomenal talent and brilliant political analyst,” Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, said Wednesday in a statement. “We are very proud to have April join our rapidly growing news organization with her vast relationships and experience.”
Ryan posted on Twitter shortly after the announcement, writing: “The new chapter of my career is exciting as I am moving to the Grio!”
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Ryan has worked in Washington, D.C. since 1997, when she joined American Urban Radio Networks. She has had one-on-one interviews with Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
During her time covering the Trump administration, she had several exchanges with President Donald Trump, including when he asked her if members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) were “friends” of hers. She responded by telling Trump she is a reporter, not a member of the CBC.
In 2017, she was named “Journalist of the Year” by the National Association of Black Journalists. She became a political analyst for CNN that same year, and will remain with the network as well.
TheGrio.TV officially launches on Jan. 15, the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and will produce Black-focused content.
According to a press release, the network is expecting to reach over 100 million households through its television broadcasts, cable/telco/satellite platforms, and free streaming.
