McNair New CBS News Communications Cheif

Sonya McNair today was named the new head of communications for CBS News. Her appointment is effective immediately.

McNair will oversee all media and talent relations, as well as public affairs for CBS News, including strategic planning, day-to-day publicity, internal and external communications.  She will also provide oversight of communications for CBS Radio News, CBSNews.com and the CBS News Polling & Survey Unit. She will report to both Jeff Fager, chairman, CBS News, and Gil Schwartz, EVP and chief communications officer, CBS Corp.

McNair joined CBS News as a consultant in March 2009 and she was appointed VP in May of that year. She directed media relations and publicity for the CBS News Division and oversaw the daily communications strategy for a wide range of CBS News broadcasts and platforms.

Previously, McNair was spokesperson and director of public relations for The New Yorker, where she directed press affairs and public relations strategies for the magazine, and designed media campaigns for special events.

Prior to her time at The New Yorker, McNair was VP of corporate communications for Time Inc.’s Essence Communications Inc. and was responsible for the communications of corporate units, including ESSENCE magazine, Essence Books and the Essence Music Festival.

Formerly, McNair was VP of publicity and corporate communications for the Fox Broadcasting Co., and oversaw East Coast media relations for the network. She also handled communications for corporate affairs and business related matters. Prior to that, she spent 16 years at ABC News and held several increasingly responsible positions at the network, which included spokesperson for the network’s news division and director of media relations, where she oversaw media relations for the New York-based shows and provided public relations counsel to Diane Sawyer, Charles Gibson, David Brinkley and others. Additionally, she managed the publicity surrounding the launch of ABCNews.com.