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Everything to Know About Blayne Alexander, Dateline's New Correspondent
NBC News' Blayne Alexander has been named a Dateline NBC correspondent, joining anchor Lester Holt and correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison, and Dennis Murphy.
There was a big Dateline reveal Tuesday, and unlike the twists in many of the show's episodes — it's good news.
The award-winning newsmagazine has added someone new to its ranks.
NBC News' Blayne Alexander has been named a Dateline NBC correspondent, joining anchor Lester Holt and correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison, and Dennis Murphy.
“Blayne Alexander is an outstanding journalist who brings depth and perspective to every story she tells," Liz Cole, senior executive producer of Dateline, and Paul Ryan, executive producer of Dateline, said in joint statement. "Her ability to navigate complex topics has been evident throughout her career. We’re thrilled to officially welcome her to the Dateline family.”
Veteran correspondents Mankiewicz, Morrison and Canning dropped by TODAY Tuesday morning to announce the big news, before Alexander, who just returned from maternity leave, stepped out onto the set herself.
“This is quite a way to come back from maternity leave, first day back after 4 1/2 months. I could not be more excited to join this team,” Alexander said of her new post. "I keep telling everybody, this is a journalist’s dream, right? I’ve been watching Dateline since I was a little girl. And so to be here, to be part of this institution, just means everything.”
Who is Blayne Alexander?
The newest Dateline correspondent is already a familiar face to many. She joined NBC News in 2019 and has made frequent appearances as a reporter on Nightly News with Lester Holt, TODAY, MSNBC, NBCNews.com and NBC News NOW, as well as Dateline NBC.
Before that, she was Washington correspondent for NBC News Channel, where she covered Capitol Hill and the Trump administration for NBC affiliates across the country. And prior to that, she worked out of Atlanta as a reporter and anchor for NBC affiliate WXIA-TV.
During her career, she’s covered the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice protests, the 2020 and 2022 elections in Georgia, and the indictment of former President Trump in Georgia.
Alexander has been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists, as well as the Atlanta Press Club and Gracie Awards.
What have Blayne Alexander's fellow Dateline correspondents said about her?
Alexander is already earning some high praise from her Dateline colleagues and others in the NBC News family.
Mankiewicz described her to TODAY hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie as “a pro” and “the best journalist.”
“She’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s kind,” Canning added on the morning news show.
Once Alexander joined her colleagues on the TODAY set couch, Guthrie chimed in, "She is an amazing colleague."
Kotb told Alexander, "When we learned about you being a correspondent for Dateline, universally, every single person here was so excited because you are... not just very talented but super kind and so good at what you do. So, it's a testament to you and how much you're loved at this network."
While Alexander may still be settling into the new gig, Morrison already believes she’ll be the perfect addition to the team.
“We’re all kind of engaged in the same process of storytelling and Blayne has proved herself to be an incredible storyteller,” he said. “The great thing about Dateline is we kind of open the gates and allow you to really spend some time to develop a story and develop the characters and understand what the story is all about and I think she’s going to be fabulous at it.”
A passion for telling stories
The bio on Alexander's website reads: “Blayne’s passion is telling stories. She gets some of her greatest joy from meeting new people, starting discussions, satisfying her often-unquenchable curiosity and working to amplify the voices of those who feel they are never heard.”
When have I seen Blayne Alexander on Dateline before?
Dateline fans may remember Alexander from a couple of Season 32 episodes, including “65 Seconds” and “Justice for Joy”. In "Justice for Joy," Alexander spoke with the husband and grown children of Joy HIbbs, a Pennsylvania mother discovered dead in her home after the residence was set on fire. Alexander covered the family’s emotional decades-long quest for justice, and the “shocking secret” that ultimately helped authorities track down her killer.
Alexander, a graduate of Duke University, began her reporting career at WRDW-TV in Augusta, Georgia, before moving over to Atlanta’s WXIA-TV, where she spent six years as an anchor and reporter.
What to know about Blayne Alexander’s family
The talented journalist also has a busy personal life. Alexander and her husband James Bailey share two young daughters, Sage Milan, 3, and Skylar Alexander, who is four months old.
“Going home to them has been everything,” Alexander shared on TODAY Tuesday.
Bailey was on hand Tuesday to celebrate his wife’s latest accomplishment, even sporting a custom made t-shirt to show his support.
“Lester & Andrea & Dennis & Josh & Keith & Blayne,” the t-shirt proudly proclaimed.
Season 33 of the popular true crime newsmagazine kicked off in September.
To keep up on all the latest, watch Dateline on Fridays at 9/8c p.m. on NBC or stream episodes on Peacock.
