Comings and goings: ‘News Hour’ hires White House correspondent, The Current adds music director …

Liz Landers was hired as White House correspondent for PBS News Hour.

Landers succeeds Laura Barrón-López, who left the program in July to become a White House correspondent for MSNBC. Landers most recently worked as a national correspondent for Scripps News. She has also been a television and radio reporter for ABC News and chief political correspondent for Vice News. She held several roles at CNN from 2013–19, including Capitol Hill reporter and producer.

“I am thrilled to join the team of dedicated and highly respected journalists at PBS News Hour,” Landers said in a news release. “At this critical time in our nation’s history, I look forward to covering the White House and this administration for public broadcasting’s iconic nightly news program.” 

Landers starts the job Sept. 15.

Amber Hoback was hired as music director for The Current in St. Paul, Minn.

Hoback most recently worked as music director and midday host for WNRN in Charlottesville, Va. She has also been music director for WTTS, a commercial station in Bloomington, Ind., and held several roles at KRSH in Healdsburg, Calif.

“It has been a long-time aspirational career goal of mine to join this programming team, and it’s such a thriving music community in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota that the reality is even more fun than I previously imagined,” Hoback said in a news release. “It’s my honor to share music discoveries with the listeners of The Current, and I look forward to exploring this beautiful state and getting to know its people. I hope to meet you on the dance floor!”

Michael Krall is leaving his position as classical music director for Cincinnati Public Radio’s WGUC.

Krall joined the station last year. He previously worked as interim PD for WAMU in Washington, D.C. He has also been PD for WBHM in Birmingham, Ala., and WCBU in Peoria, Ill.; music director for WKNO in Memphis, Tenn.; and an announcer for Delmarva Public Media in Salisbury, Md.

“Voluntarily leaving a job is never an easy decision, but I have been re-evaluating my priorities and what I want to do, and this is the best fit for me at this time,” Krall said in a Cincinnati Public Radio news story. He added that he will be focusing on consulting work for public radio stations and doing freelance voiceover work while based in Birmingham.

Content

Maggie Smith was hired as host of The Slowdown, a daily poetry podcast produced by American Public Media in association with the Poetry Foundation. Smith has written eight books of poetry and prose. Her next collection, A Suit or a Suitcase, will be released in March. “I’m a listener and a fan of The Slowdown first and foremost, so I’m thrilled to be a part of its legacy,” Smith said in a news release. “It’s an honor to be welcomed into listeners’ lives, bringing them a poem as they make their morning coffee, or walk their dogs, or commute to work. I think we can all use time away from our to-do lists, and time away from the dismal, endless scroll, to share five minutes of perspective through the lens of poetry.” Smith succeeds Major Jackson as host. Previous hosts were U.S. Poets Laureate Ada Limón and Tracy K. Smith.

Mac Wilson was named weekday evenings host for The Current in St. Paul, Minn. He joined the station in 2006 and most recently worked as a weekend host. He was also news director and later station manager for KUMM, a noncommercial station in Morris, Minn.

Kristen Keogh was hired to host Trail Mix’d, a half-hour hiking program produced by Arizona PBS. She succeeds Jayarr Steiner, who hosted the program’s second season. Keogh is a news and weather anchor for Fox affiliate KSAZ in Phoenix. She has also been a sports anchor for NBC affiliate KPNX in Phoenix, a weather forecaster for ABC affiliate KGTV in San Diego and an in-arena host for the Arizona Coyotes hockey team. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Kristen to the Arizona PBS family,” said GM Scott Woelfel in a news release. “An Arizona native and familiar face for local television audiences here in the Valley, Kristen’s experience connecting with viewers and her passion for the outdoors make her a perfect fit to take over hosting duties.”

Fellowships

The Online News Association named Alexi Cohan, a digital producer for GBH News in Boston, as one of six 2025 MJ Bear Fellows. The yearlong fellowship is named after Mary Jane Bear, a former NPR employee who died in 2010 from leukemia. It gives journalists who are under 30 support on a digital project and to attend ONA’s annual conference, three tailored coaching sessions and three years of ONA membership. Cohan is the creator and lead producer of Politics IRL, a monthly online video series that focuses on politics from a Gen Z perspective. She joined the station in 2022 after working as a reporter for the Boston Herald.

Send news of “comings and goings” to people@current.org