Natalie Morales Sat Down with a Murderer for Her First Dateline Episode as Official Correspondent People 2/12/2021 Natalie Morales has kickstarted her journey as an official In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the journalist, 48, opens up about her decision to join the Dateline team — and how she managed to keep her composure after coming face-to-face with a murderer for her first episode in the role. "I feel like I'm joining Dateline at the perfect time," she says. " Dateline is on fire, people are obsessed [with true crime]. And this is the kind of the time to be in it. For me, being a part of this team that I've long admired, to work with some of the greatest storytellers there are in this genre, is fantastic."