Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell, NBC News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent, chief Washington correspondent and host of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” is the network’s leading voice on U.S. foreign policy and international diplomacy. Mitchell reports on intelligence and national security issues across all NBC News and MSNBC properties.
A pioneer in her field, Mitchell is known for her tenacity and veteran analysis as she pursues answers, interviews newsmakers, and traverses the globe to report on the State Department.
In November 2019, Mitchell co-moderated the fifth Democratic presidential debate hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, GA.
Mitchell has been honored for her distinguished reporting, receiving the lifetime achievement award at the 40th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, the Los Angeles Press Club’s Joseph M. Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award, The International Radio and Television Society Foundation’s Giant of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts Honor, the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Freedom of the Press Award from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Washington Women in Journalism Awards.
During the 2016 election cycle, Mitchell led coverage of Hillary Clinton’s second presidential campaign from its launch in April 2015. Mitchell’s more than 20 years of reporting on the Clintons earned her the unofficial role as “dean of the Clinton press corps” as she traveled with the campaign across the country, anchoring her eponymous show and reporting for network broadcasts “TODAY” and “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” at campaign rallies, debates and both conventions. Mitchell regularly appears on “Meet the Press” as a panelist and substitute moderator.
In 2015, Mitchell was recognized by New York Women in Communications with the prestigious Matrix Award for her excellence in broadcast journalism. Mitchell won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent in 2010.
In the 2012 presidential cycle, Mitchell covered the race for the Republican nomination on platforms across both networks and reported on key congressional races on election night. She also covered the entire 2008 presidential campaign, from the kickoff in February 2007, broadcasting live from every major primary and caucus state and all the candidate debates for NBC News and MSNBC programs, including “TODAY,” “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “Hardball,” “Morning Joe” and “Meet the Press.” She also covered Barack Obama’s trip to Iraq, the Middle East and Europe during the presidential campaign.
As a featured political correspondent in 2004, Mitchell was the first reporter to break the story that Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) had chosen Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) as his vice presidential running mate.
In September 2005, Mitchell authored “Talking Back,” a memoir about her experiences as one of the first women to cover five presidents, congress and foreign policy. That year, Mitchell also received the prestigious Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2004, the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) honored Mitchell with the Leonard Zeidenberg Award for her contribution to the protection of First Amendment freedoms.
Mitchell has closely covered the complex U.S.-Cuban relationship for decades and led network coverage of the historic thaw with the island country, beginning in 2014. Her extensive and varied reports include a series of exclusive interviews over the years with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Her unprecedented access resulted in a one-hour documentary on Cuba in December 2003. Throughout 2002 and 2003, Mitchell covered the United Nations debate leading up to the Iraq war and provided detailed reports on the questions surrounding pre-war intelligence and weapons of mass destruction. As a longtime foreign affairs correspondent, Mitchell’s past assignments for NBC News have included exclusive reports from North Korea, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Bosnia, Kosovo, Pakistan and Haiti.
During the 2000 campaign cycle, Mitchell was an integral part of NBC News’ election coverage. In addition, she was the lead NBC News correspondent covering Hillary Rodham Clinton’s race for the Senate that year.
Among her many past assignments, Mitchell has served as NBC News’ chief White House correspondent, a position she assumed after covering Bill Clinton from the New Hampshire primary through the entire 1992 presidential campaign.
From 1988 to 1992, Mitchell served as the network’s chief congressional correspondent, playing a major role in reporting on the budget, the savings and loan bailout, the Clarence Thomas hearings and other legislative issues. She also served as a regular political analyst on “TODAY” and was a panelist in the second Bush-Dukakis presidential debate.
Mitchell first covered the White House for NBC News during both of Ronald Reagan’s terms as president. She reported on a variety of noteworthy stories, including arms control, the budget, tax reform and the Iran-contra scandal, and traveled extensively with President Reagan to summits with Mikhail Gorbachev and other world leaders.
During the 1988 Republican National Convention, she beat both the competition and presidential candidate George Bush with the announcement that Bush had chosen Dan Quayle to be his running mate. She was also a panelist in the final Bush-Dukakis presidential debate.
Mitchell joined NBC News in 1978 as a general correspondent based in Washington, D.C. In 1979, she was named NBC News energy correspondent. In that capacity, she reported on the energy crisis and the Three Mile Island nuclear incident. Before joining NBC News, she was a correspondent for WDVM-TV (then WTOP), the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. From 1967-1976, she was a broadcast journalist for KYW Radio and KYW-TV in Philadelphia.
A native of New York, Mitchell received a B.A. degree in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania where she currently serves as emeritus trustee and Chair Emeritus of the SAS Board of Overseers. She is also a member of the Gridiron Club.
Mitchell is married to former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan and resides in Washington, D.C.
