Emily Rooney to Relinquish ‘Greater Boston’ Hosting Duties Come January

Local Boston media reporter Emily Rooney will be easing back on her responsibilities relaying the news for WGBH, focusing her time and energy on hosting the weekly program Beat the Press, as well as appearing regularly on Boston Public Radio and assuming a new special correspondent role.

According to WGBH, Rooney spent more than 40 years “working the daily grind in newsrooms at WCVB, ABC and FOX.” Rooney spent 18 of those years at the helm of Greater Boston – an aptly-named, award-winning talk show covering contemporary news in Greater Boston. She plans on relinquishing hosting duties in January, 2015.

“When I came to WGBH in 1997, I was an on-air rookie tasked with shaping a nightly news and public affairs show that would be accessible to everyone,” said Rooney in a statement. “I’m proud of the program we’ve fine-tuned over the years and grateful to WGBH for giving me the chance to reinvent myself. It all happened in large part due to the loyal and dedicated staff who have stayed with the show all these years.”

BostInno reached out to WGBH for some personal commentary on the impact of Rooney’s local coverage and what kind of retrospective lens her reporting will afford generations of future Greater Bostonians, but nobody was immediately available to comment.

The amount of accolades Rooney has garnered over the years is sure to make even the sturdiest trophy shelf bend in the middle. She and her programs have accrued Regional Edward R. Murrow broadcast awards, New England Emmy Awards, five National Press Club’s Arthur Rowse Awards for Media Criticism, Penn State’s Bart Richard’s Award for Media Criticism and a number of personal distinctions, as well.

“We are extremely indebted to Emily for her guidance and commitment to WGBH’s local coverage of issues and newsmakers. For so many years Emily was WGBH News,” added WGBH Radio General Manager Phil Redo, who also oversees WGBH News, in a statement. “On behalf of everyone connected to the news department, we thank her for the first 18 years with WGBH, and look forward to the many still ahead in her new and only slightly adjusted role.”

It’s unclear to what capacity her upcoming role as special correspondent will serve, or if any noticeable changes will be made to the programs she’ll continue moderating, but suffice to say she’ll enjoy her more relaxed role.

A graduate of American University in Washington D.C. with honorary doctoral degrees from UMass Boston and Westfield State College (now a university), Rooney is the daughter of famed 60 Minutes lovable curmudgeon Andy Rooney.

Image via WGBH

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