Video: NewsNation’s Jesse Weber on why 11 p.m. is one of the most important hours in news
Weekly insights on the technology, production and business decisions shaping media and broadcast. Free to access. Independent coverage. Unsubscribe anytime.
For Jesse Weber, the end of the day is often when the real work begins. As host of “Jesse Weber Live” on NewsNation, Weber anchors the 11 p.m. hour – a time he believes is among the most critical in the daily news cycle.
“We can’t think for one second that because it’s that hour, the news stops,” Weber said in a recent episode of The A Block from NCS. “Sometimes that’s when the story is just starting.”
Late-night live coverage allows Weber and his team to do more than react. It gives them space to analyze the day’s biggest stories, offer context that may have been missing earlier, and preview what viewers need to know heading into the next day — especially as news continues to break on the West Coast and around the world.
At the core of Weber’s approach is trust.
“We live in a time where everybody has a platform,” he said. “That’s a great thing — but misinformation can be very dangerous. We need to be a place people can trust.”
As a millennial anchor, Weber is particularly focused on reaching younger viewers who may feel disengaged from traditional news. Building credibility, he said, isn’t a one-night effort – it’s something that has to be earned consistently.
Weber’s background as an attorney plays a central role in how he covers the news, particularly legal and true-crime stories that dominate today’s headlines.
“The viewers are like the jury,” he said. “Every night, I’m talking to a jury — breaking down the arguments, what matters, and why.”
That legal training, he added, helps him anticipate counterpoints, challenge guests with controversial views, and present complex issues in a way that’s clear and digestible.
Looking back on major breaking news moments, Weber emphasized the responsibility to provide calm, accurate coverage when the world feels frozen.
“In moments like that, the big picture has to be painted clearly,” he said. “That clarity really matters.”
Watch the full conversation with Jesse Weber in this episode of The A Block above, and find more interviews with the people shaping modern news on the NCS YouTube channel.


