Shriver’s future at NBC up in the air

The question of whether Maria Shriver can continue as a contributing anchor for NBC’s “Dateline” while serving as California’s first lady is still unresolved. But NBC News President Neal Shapiro will sit down next week in Los Angeles with Shriver and discuss her future role on the program.

She took an unpaid leave during the campaign, but Shriver returned to work after husband Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected California’s governor.

Recently, however, there has been talk at the network that she might take another unpaid break, as the demands of her public life have come into conflict with her role as a journalist. The conflict came into particular focus in mid-December when news that Shriver was an active participant in her husband’s administration became public.

Elizabeth Jensen