"State of the Media"

Mar 07, 2017

Lynn Smith, Host, Weekend Express, HLN

Lynn Smith was named host of HLN’s Weekend Express in May 2014 and is based in the CNN Worldwide headquarters in Atlanta. She joined HLN in fall 2013 as an anchor/correspondent and had been filling in as host of the high-rated Weekend Express since December of that year.

Before coming to HLN, Lynn Smith, the former Lynn Berry, served as the anchor of NBC-TV’s Early Today and MSNBC’s First Look since 2010. During that time, she was also a fill-in newsreader on Weekend Today and covered overnight breaking news at MSNBC.

The year prior, Smith had been a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor at WNBC’s local station “News 4 New York.”  Earlier, at NBC-owned station WCAU, Philadelphia, she served as general assignment reporter since June 2007. In January 2008, her role was expanded and she was promoted to co-anchor of "NBC 10 Weekend Today" on Saturday and Sunday mornings.   

Prior her work at WCAU, Smith worked behind the camera at NBC-TV’s Today as an associate producer and was later promoted to producer. In 2007, her role expanded to online correspondent for todayshow.com, with several of her pieces featured on Today. She was also a freelance general assignment reporter for NBC-owned station WVIT in Hartford, Connecticut.   

A magna cum laude graduate from Miami University in Ohio, who majored in mass communications, Smith got her start in broadcasting as a reporter for the university newspaper, and anchor/reporter at its television station.

Following graduation, Smith was awarded a prestigious internship with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. In 2001, she joined NBC’s Page Program in Los Angeles before moving East to pursue her passion for news.

INTRODUCTION: Mason Stephenson

INVOCATION: Russ Wagner