Rehema Ellis

Rehema Ellis is an American broadcast journalist whose career in news media spans more than three decades. Ellis earned her undergraduate degree from Simmons College in Boston and a graduate degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. After graduate school, she began her broadcast career at KDKA Radio and TV in Pittsburgh, then joined WHDH-TV in Boston as a reporter and weekend anchor.

Ellis became a general assignment correspondent at NBC News, where she covered major events including the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Michael Jackson, and the Haiti earthquake. She was the first journalist to identify the September 11 attacks on air as "Nine-Eleven." As a correspondent, Ellis reported from Zaire on the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and spent a month in Greece covering the Summer Olympics. She has also reported on Donald Trump's defamation trial and civil fraud trial in New York. Her ability to report from breaking news situations around the world has established her reputation as a network journalist.

Ellis was named Chief Education Correspondent and played a key role in examining the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. education system. The topic of education has remained central to her reporting, and she has contributed to the national discussion on education reform in America.

Throughout her career, Ellis has received multiple honors, including two News & Documentary Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story – Long Form, the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association, and a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award for Television Network-General Assignment News: Short Form. She was part of the Emmy Award-winning coverage of the plane crash in the Hudson River known as "Miracle on the Hudson," for which she also won an Edward R. Murrow Award. Ellis received another News & Documentary Emmy Award for her reporting on the special segment covering the Boston Marathon bombing. She has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Simmons University and an honorary doctorate degree in journalism.

In addition to her on-air work, Ellis is a keynote speaker on education and leadership. Her life story is preserved in The HistoryMakers archive, which is included in the Library of Congress. Her extensive career reflects the impact of rigorous journalism and a deep commitment to education, resonating with audiences and communities nationwide.