Noah Oppenheim

From Grokipedia

Noah Oppenheim is an American television producer, screenwriter, and former news executive who served as president of NBC News from February 2017 to January 2023, overseeing its programming, editorial operations, digital expansion, and global bureaus.

Oppenheim began his career producing political programs for MSNBC, including Hardball with Chris Matthews and Scarborough Country, before rejoining NBC News in 2015 as executive producer of the Today show. Under his leadership, Today reclaimed the top position in morning news ratings and earned him an Emmy Award for outstanding morning program. As president, he managed a portfolio encompassing NBC's broadcast, streaming, and international news divisions amid shifting media landscapes.

In addition to his news roles, Oppenheim is a published author and screenwriter; he wrote the historical drama Jackie (2016), starring Natalie Portman, and co-wrote the dystopian adaptation The Maze Runner (2014). Following his departure from NBC News leadership in a network reorganization, he shifted to a first-look production deal at NBCUniversal focused on developing scripted films and series.

Oppenheim's tenure drew scrutiny for several high-profile decisions, including NBC's rejection of Ronan Farrow's investigative reporting on Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct—later published in The New Yorker and awarded a Pulitzer Prize—with Farrow alleging Oppenheim personally intervened to block it, a claim Oppenheim denied citing legal concerns. Similar criticism arose over the network's handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Today host Matt Lauer, fired in 2017 after an internal complaint, and the 2016 leak of the Trump Access Hollywood tape from NBC archives. Resurfaced columns from his Harvard Crimson days in the late 1990s portrayed him critiquing feminist orthodoxy and expressing politically incorrect views on gender dynamics, prompting backlash during the #MeToo movement from outlets and activists questioning his suitability for leading a major newsroom.

In brief

Noah Oppenheim learned the morning show from the inside, the 7 a.m. hour where news and weather and a cooking segment share a single clock. NBC made him news president in 2017.

The job ended in 2023. He left with a studio pact and a writer’s credit already on the résumé — a reminder that some executives still think in scenes.