[2][3] The show was hosted by Bob Edwards from its inception until it was retooled for a two-anchor format in 2004 with the introduction of Steve Inskeep and Renée Montagne.

Montagne left the show in 2016, and was replaced by Rachel Martin, who stepped down from daily hosting in early 2023.

Leila Fadel joined the anchor team in Washington at the end of January 2022, following the departure of Noel King.

[4] The network announced in early March 2023 that All Things Considered weekend host Michel Martin would be joining the Morning Edition team as its fourth anchor following Rachel Martin's departure from daily hosting duties.

Bob Edwards, previously a co-host of All Things Considered, hosted Morning Edition beginning with its first episode, a job he initially took on a temporary basis when a shake-up in production and on-air staff occurred ten days before the show's premiere.

His last day as host was April 30, 2004;[7] this was not due to Edwards retiring, but rather a highly controversial decision from NPR to reassign him as senior correspondent, which resulted in anger and harsh criticism from many listeners.

On December 5, 2016, after Montagne's departure, David Greene began broadcasting from NPR West, and Rachel Martin, former host of Weekend Edition, joined Morning Edition, broadcasting alongside Inskeep from NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C.[12] By 2018, Noel King, formerly a correspondent for Marketplace and Planet Money, joined the anchors in Washington.

Greene then departed, hosting his final episode on December 29, 2020,[13][14] and was succeeded by longtime KPCC journalist A Martínez, who was added to the program in July 2021, to broadcast from NPR West.

Rachel Martin stepped down from daily hosting duties in early February 2023, to pursue a project within NPR focused on examining religion and spirituality.

Michel Martin, weekend host for All Things Considered, was named as the next addition to the anchor team, and joined on March 27, 2023.

At 42:30 past the hour a two-minute music bed is played which most stations cover with news updates or "modules" from other independent radio producers.

The return lasts thirty seconds, and ends with the tagline "It's Morning Edition, from NPR News," or some variation thereon.

In the past, Edwards would stay at his NPR office until the program feeds ended at noon in case there was anything that required an update.

KJZZ in Phoenix, Arizona carries Morning Edition from 03:00 to 09:00 MST (two hours behind Eastern Time in the winter months, and three in the summer, as Arizona does not follow Daylight Saving Time), but uses local announcers, news updates/features and traffic/weather reports starting with the 05:00 hour.

[24] Tell Me More, a daytime interview show hosted by journalist Michel Martin, with a focus on African-American issues, was featured on NPR Now, channel 122, from 2007 to 2014; The Takeaway, a competing news and interview program hosted by John Hockenberry (retired in 2017, currently Melissa Harris-Perry) produced by NPR member station WNYC New York and WGBH-FM Boston and distributed by Public Radio International, is featured on SiriusXM Public Radio, channel 205.