Max McClellan Named Executive Producer of PBS News Weekend

Arlington, VA (November 11, 2024) — PBS News senior executive producer Sara Just today named Max McClellan executive producer of PBS News Weekend. The 30-minute program, which airs on Saturday and Sunday evenings on PBS stations, is anchored by John Yang.

“We are delighted to welcome Max to the PBS News Weekend, and the wider PBS News team. As an accomplished journalist and newsroom leader, Max’s experience producing investigative features, breaking news, field reports, and in-depth series will complement the impactful and wide range of reporting done by our Weekend team,” said Just.

McClellan added, “I’m honored and excited to be joining the PBS News team. It’s the gold standard of in-depth and trustworthy journalism, and I can’t wait to build on that tradition of excellence with my new colleagues at PBS News Weekend.”

McClellan joins PBS News Weekend from Scripps News, where he was the senior executive producer for the national investigations unit and led the production of content across all Scripps News platforms. His unit won multiple national awards during his tenure, including an Emmy in the Outstanding Investigative News Coverage category in 2024 for their report on the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. That investigation and another on the 2023 mass shooting in Maine were recognized this month as finalists for the 2025 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

Through his investigative reporting and previous work at CBS News, McClellan has garnered many of the industry’s top honors, including four Emmy Awards, a duPont Award for war reporting in Afghanistan, an Overseas Press Club Award, multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Headliner Awards, Gracie Awards, and more.

Before Scripps, McClellan created Spotlight on America, an investigative news franchise that aired across seventy network-affiliated stations and earned multiple national awards. He also worked as a showrunner, executive producer and story-editor for shows appearing on VICE, Discovery ID and HLN, and he produced a documentary film for Tribeca Studios.

McClellan began his career at CBS and served as a White House producer covering the Clinton and Bush administrations, traveling to more than 70 countries on six continents. He covered three consecutive Presidential elections, 9/11, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later served as the lead producer for CBS’ chief foreign correspondent and as a producer for 60 Minutes.

McClellan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Haverford College.

Media Contact: Ella Richardson, erichardson (at) newshour (dot) org