Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog, which are also top in the Midwest in Black digital news.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com
CLEVELANDURBANEWS.COM, CLEVELAND, OHIO— Longtime Cleveland Channel 5 news anchorwoman and reporter Danita Harris, who is Black, has been reassigned and will anchor Good Morning Cleveland, effective March 23, station officials announced Monday, which is less responsibility from anchoring the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts where Harris worked alongside co-anchor Rob Powers and Power of 5 Chief Meteorologist Mark Johnson.
A spokesperson for Channel 5 told Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com that Harris' replacement for the evening and nightly news has not yet been chosen.
“Our viewers have had a relationship with Danita that runs 20-plus years, and her community roots and community service run deep,” said Steve Weinstein, vice president and general manager at News 5. “She’s not only a terrific anchor and award-winning journalist but a strong community leader and advocate as well. We’re excited that our morning viewers can start their day with Danita, Katie, and Trent.”
In response to her new assignment, Harris, married to a Black preacher and mother to a four-year-old, said that she "can’t wait to rise and shine with Northeast Ohioans at a new time.”
Harris tweeted that her new assignment "allows me to connect with all of you as you get your day started and gives me more quality time with my son Chase, he is my heart."
Cleveland activists women said they want to know whether another Black woman will be considered to replace Danita Harris as evening and nightly anchor for News 5 in Cleveland.
"We look forward to watching Danita Harris on the morning news and are watching to see who will replace this Black woman as evening and nightly news anchor at Channel 5 in Cleveland ," said community activist Kathy Wray Coleman, a Black woman and former public school biology teacher who leads Imperial Women Coalition, Women's March Cleveland and International Women's Day March Cleveland. "And we call for more Black female anchors at mainstream television stations that serve Cleveland, a largely Black major American city."
Harris co-anchored Good Morning Cleveland from 2000-2006, before she joined the 6pm forecast with Ted Henry.
And after 15 years as a daily newscaster and some twenty years with TV 5 she will join co-anchor Katie Ussin and Power of 5 Meteorologist Trent Magill starting Monday, March 23.
A native of Chester, PA and an ordained minister, Harris worked for Black Entertainment Television Network and WJLA-ABC7 in Washington, DC early on in her career.
She is an Ohio Broadcast Hall of Fame inductee in 2010 and earned several industry awards during her tenure at News 5.
In late 2019, the station reports, Harris was recognized by MetroHealth with a “SHEROE” award for her work with S.H.I.N.E., a spiritually-based organization that helps women achieve their goals.
Harris also recently received a “Doing Well by Doing Good” honor from station owner E.W. Scripps for her accomplishments with S.H.I.N.E.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog, which are also top in the Midwest in Black digital news.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
