Zinhle Essamuah is an Emmy-nominated journalist and filmmaker, and the co-anchor of NBC News Daily, the #1 afternoon news program on all U.S, connecting with more than 1.2 million viewers daily.  Essamuah is also a correspondent for NBC News reporting across NBC News NOW, Nightly News and TODAY. Previously, she was an anchor and correspondent at NowThis News of Vox Media Group, opening the company’s D.C. bureau.

Essamuah’s reporting centers health, culture and poverty — most often examining inequity at the intersection of policy and lived experience. 

In 2025, Essamuah exclusively interviewed Venus Williams, where the tennis champion opened up about her battle with uterine fibroids for the first time. Williams revealed that her pain had gone undiagnosed and dismissed for years. Essamuah’s health care reporting includes the regulation of cosmetic and beauty products like  hair relaxers and synthetic braids, the expansive impact of Medicaid and women’s health research cuts, and the nation’s Black maternal health crisis. 

In September 2024, Essamuah exclusively reported on the rise of maternal mortality in Texas following the state’s abortion restrictions and near-total ban, and has continued to amplify the stories of lost mothers and those survived by them. Beyond reporting on policy, Essamuah’s reporting has led to legislative change: Louisiana’s governor citing Essamuah’s report in a policy now limiting solitary confinement in juvenile facilities. Another story on fake landlord scams inspiring a viewer to pay off a tenant’s home after her report on fake landlord scams in Detroit. 

At the heart of it: Essamuah loves good connection and conversation. She’s a frequent moderator and guest speaker at high-profile forums, including the Aspen Institute and the United Nations, over the years securing exclusive interviews with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trevor Noah, Sec. Hillary Clinton and more.  

Prior, Zinhle opened the D.C. bureau for NowThis News, owned by Vox Media Group, as their lead politics producer during the first Trump administration. She anchored NowThis’ flagship broadcast KnowThis for three years in New York and around the country. Soon after, she was tapped to concurrently host KnowThis Live, a weekly political interview magazine program and was lead writer on the daily newsletter, KnowThis, and a frequent contributor to the NowThis Brief podcast.

Truly, Zinhle’s love of story began behind the camera. She’s an award-winning cinematographer and filmmaker and a recipient of a Gracie Award for her original debut short documentary film documenting the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri. She holds a dual masters in Media, Strategic Communication, and Documentary Filmmaking from The George Washington University.  

As a first generation American with roots in the African diaspora, Zinhle (zing-clay) has a deep love of travel. She has a special interest in teaching and equipping the next generation of journalists.  In her free time, Zinhle brews tea, hosts dinner parties, and loves to sing and play her guitars. And…that’s (simply) Zinhle. Keep up with her online @simplyzinhle and every day 2-4PM Monday to Friday streaming and on your local NBC stations.