Sheinelle Jones
{{short description|American journalist, news anchor and correspondent}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sheinelle Jones
| image = Sheinelle Jones.jpg
| caption = Jones in May 2015
| birth_name = Sheinelle Marie Jones
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|4|19}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| education = Northwestern University
| occupation = {{hlist|Journalist|news anchor}}
| years_active = 2000–present
| employer = NBC News
| spouse = {{marriage|Uche Ojeh|2007}}
| children = 3
| father = C. Darnell Jones II
}}
Sheinelle Marie Jones (born April 19, 1978) is an American journalist and a news anchor and correspondent for NBC News. She is one of the hosts of the third hour of Today on weekdays, and serves as host of Wild Child as part of the network's Saturday morning educational block, The More You Know.
Early life and education
Sheinelle Marie Jones{{cite news|date=October 4, 2014|title=Four things you should know about Weekend TODAY's Sheinelle Jones|work=Today|url=https://www.today.com/news/four-things-you-should-know-about-weekend-todays-sheinelle-jones-2D80191277|url-status=live|accessdate=February 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121082505/https://www.today.com/news/four-things-you-should-know-about-weekend-todays-sheinelle-jones-2D80191277|archive-date=November 21, 2019}} was born April 19, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/weekend-today-celebrates-sheinelle-jones-birthday-with-cupcakes-1500622403912|title=Weekend 'Today' celebrates Sheinelle Jones' birthday with cupcakes|date=April 20, 2019|time=00:02|accessdate=February 20, 2020|quote="As you all know, today is April 20, also known as the day after Sheinelle's birthday.}}{{cite news|last=Koenig|first=Ronnie|date=October 14, 2018|title='Quite a week!': Sheinelle Jones shares her packed schedule balancing work, parenting|work=Today|url=https://www.today.com/parents/sheinelle-jones-shares-her-packed-schedule-balancing-work-parenting-t139750|url-status=live|accessdate=February 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604183911/https://www.today.com/parents/sheinelle-jones-shares-her-packed-schedule-balancing-work-parenting-t139750|archive-date=June 4, 2019|quote=Sheinelle Jones, the energetic Weekend Today anchor, is getting things done! The 40-year-old ….}} Her father is U.S. District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones II.{{cite news |last=Kadaba |first=Lini S. |date=May 10, 2012 |title=Sheinelle Jones juggles work, toddler and soon-to-be three |url=http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-10/news/31642312_1_twins-mommy-toddler |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |access-date=May 6, 2015 |quote=After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she did a couple of gigs in smaller, Midwestern markets, then came to Philadelphia in 2005 as a general-assignment reporter for Good Day. She was born in the city and family live here, including her father, U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones.|archive-date=June 11, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130611073922/http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-10/news/31642312_1_twins-mommy-toddler |url-status=dead}} She credits her mother with raising her "surrounded by the power of intentionality," by posting inspirational sayings throughout the house. She attended Wichita Brooks Middle Magnet School and Wichita Heights High School, both in Wichita, Kansas, and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.{{cite news |last=Tanner |first=Beccy |date=September 16, 2014 |title=Wichita Heights alum to begin hosting NBC's 'Today' show |url=http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article2133112.html |newspaper=Wichita Eagle |location=Wichita, Kansas |access-date=May 6, 2015 |quote=Sheinelle Jones, 36, a 1996 graduate of Wichita Heights High School, will begin anchoring the weekend editions of “Today” starting Oct. 4.}} While still in high school, she interned at KWCH-TV, the CBS affiliate in Wichita.
Career
Jones' first broadcast job was in Springfield, Illinois for WICS.{{cite news|last=Zakarin|first=Jordan|date=September 15, 2014|title='Today' Show Names Sheinelle Jones New Weekend News Anchor|newspaper=TheWrap|location=Santa Monica, California|url=http://www.thewrap.com/today-show-names-sheinelle-jones-new-weekend-news-anchor/|access-date=May 7, 2015|quote=Before her time in Philadelphia, Jones served as an evening news anchor and reporter for KOKI, the FOX affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and as a morning anchor and reporter for WICS-TV in Springfield, Illinois.}} Before going to work for NBC News, Jones worked at KOKI-TV, the FOX affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma and WTXF-TV, the FOX O&O in Philadelphia. She was at the Philadelphia station for more than nine years.{{cite news |date=October 4, 2014 |title=Four things you should know about Weekend TODAY's Sheinelle Jones |url=http://www.today.com/news/four-things-you-should-know-about-weekend-todays-sheinelle-jones-2D80191277 |newspaper=The Today Show |location=New York |access-date=May 6, 2015}}
Jones joined Today on October 4, 2014, as part of Weekend Today. In January 2019, she became a co-host on 3rd Hour Today.{{cite web |last1=Vulpo |first1=Mike |title='Today' Show Third Hour Replacements Revealed |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/today-show-replacements-revealed/60149/ |website=NBC New York |date=7 January 2019 |accessdate=4 January 2020}} As a co-host on 3rd Hour Today and a co-anchor on the Saturday editions of Weekend Today, Jones was working six days a week. On December 21, 2019, Jones left Weekend Today.{{cite web |last1=Kacala |first1=Alexander |title=Sheinelle Jones steps away from Weekend TODAY |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/sheinelle-jones-steps-away-weekend-today-t170466 |website=TODAY.com |date=21 December 2019 |accessdate=4 January 2020 |language=en}} In February 2020, Jones had surgery to remove lesions from her vocal cord and thus could not speak at all for two weeks; she remained out of work for six weeks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/health/sheinelle-jones-says-she-s-okay-after-surgery-vocal-cord-t174584|title=Sheinelle Jones says she's 'okay' after surgery on vocal cord|website=TODAY.com|date=25 February 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-02-25}} In 2021, she was the executive producer for a documentary entitled Stories We Tell: The Fertility Secret, which examined the impact of fertility issues on women of color.
Personal life
In 2007, Jones married Uche Ojeh, whom she met at Northwestern University, and they have three children, sons Kayin and Uche, and daughter Clara.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title=Today's Sheinelle Jones shares 'emotional' health message with fans |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/20220511139900/today-sheinelle-jones-shares-emotional-health-message-with-fans/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=HELLO! |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Stepping Into Today |url=https://magazine.northwestern.edu/features/sheinelle-jones-today-nbc-medill/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=Northwestern Magazine |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|6851697}}
{{NBC News personalities}}
{{authority control}}
{{Commons category}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Sheinelle}}
Category:African-American journalists
Category:Television personalities from Philadelphia
Category:People from Wichita, Kansas
Category:Medill School of Journalism alumni
Category:21st-century American women journalists
Category:21st-century American journalists