Joshua Johnson

Joshua Johnson (born March 22, 1980) is an American journalist. He is the former host of 1A, which is produced by WAMU and nationally distributed by NPR. In 2019, he joined MSNBC and hosted The Week with Joshua Johnson; Since 2024, he has appeared in videos for The Onion, a satire news organization.

Early life

Johnson was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, the only son of a public school teacher and a Vietnam veteran.

In 2010, Johnson relocated to San Francisco to work for KQED, an NPR affiliate, where he served as morning newscaster until early 2016. In 2016, he hosted the radio series Truth Be Told, produced by KQED and distributed by Public Radio International. Truth Be Told addressed race-related issues in America, with four episodes aired nationwide. He was also a substitute host of KQED's Forum and taught courses in podcasting at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. In September 2016, he guest-hosted The Diane Rehm Show for two days, and in November, Rehm announced Johnson would be taking over her time slot.

In November 2022, Johnson left Now Tonight on NBC News Now.

Personal life

Johnson declines to discuss his own opinions, and says he has been called both conservative and liberal.

Johnson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.