Reporting on itself: ‘Today’ keeps it low-key in covering search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother

NBC’s “Today” show has found itself in the unusual position of becoming part of its own lead story this week, as co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother disappeared from her Arizona home in what authorities are investigating as a probable abduction.

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has dominated headlines on “Today” and other news programs throughout the week, creating a delicate journalistic challenge for NBC’s morning show team. Savannah Guthrie, who has co-hosted “Today” since 2012, has been absent from the broadcast while dealing with the family crisis.

In her place, Sheinelle Jones has joined Craig Melvin at the anchor desk. “Our thoughts and our prayers remain firmly focused on our friend,” Melvin told viewers, acknowledging the personal connection to the story that has become their daily lead.

The “Today” show has approached the coverage with relative restraint, providing updates through reporter Liz Kreutz in Arizona and law enforcement correspondent Tom Winter. The show has been careful to maintain journalistic standards while recognizing that viewers feel a personal connection to Guthrie and, by extension, her mother, who has made several appearances on the program over the years.

“They’re reporting it as stoically as possible without medicating themselves,” observed Shelley Ross, a former producer at ABC’s “Good Morning America” and CBS’ morning show. “They were very professional in their coverage. I think it was pitch-perfect and helpful.”

In one notable moment, “Today” aired a full video message that Guthrie recorded with her siblings, addressed to their mother and potential kidnappers. While other networks generally showed only excerpts, the complete airing highlighted the personal nature of the story for the NBC team.

This is not the first time “Today” has had to navigate covering news in which it was directly involved. In 2017, Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were tasked with informing viewers about Matt Lauer’s firing over “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a colleague.

Beyond the straight news coverage, “Today” has acknowledged the personal dimension in other segments. Colleague Jenna Bush Hager shared insights about Guthrie’s religious faith, noting they are neighbors who often attend church together. On Friday, former co-anchor Hoda Kotb made a special appearance to report on the outpouring of support from colleagues, celebrities, and viewers.

“There’s this helpless feeling,” Kotb said during her return, embodying what media scholar Robert Thompson describes as a “family member” coming home during a crisis.

Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, sees this approach as consistent with the morning show format’s long-established character. “This is really the ‘Today’ show doing exactly what the ‘Today’ show was designed to do three-quarters of a century ago,” he explained, noting how these programs blend serious news with lifestyle content in spaces designed to resemble living rooms.

Guthrie’s absence was also acknowledged during NBC’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, where she was scheduled to co-host with Terry Gannon but was replaced by Mary Carillo. “She is dearly missed by everybody,” Gannon told viewers.

The “Today” show’s coverage stands in stark contrast to another media institution in the headlines this week. The Washington Post, facing significant cutbacks, chose not to assign its own reporters to cover the announcement that the newspaper was laying off one-third of its staff, including the elimination of its sports section. Instead, The Post published an Associated Press story about its own downsizing, adhering to a controversial policy that prevents its media reporters from covering their own organization.

As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, “Today” remains in the uncomfortable position of covering a story that directly affects one of its own, balancing professional journalism with the personal connections that have long defined morning television’s appeal.