Shepard Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shepard Smith
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Smith in 2007
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| Born |
David Shepard Smith Jr.
January 14, 1964 |
| Education | University of Mississippi |
| Occupation | News anchor |
| Employer | |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Spouse(s) |
Virginia Donald
(m. 1987; div. 1993) |
| Partner(s) | Giovanni Graziano (2012–present) |
David Shepard Smith Jr. (born January 14, 1964) is an American former broadcast journalist. He is well known for his long career at the Fox News Channel. He joined Fox News when it started in 1996. There, he was a main anchor and helped manage the breaking news team.
Smith hosted several shows at Fox, including The Fox Report, Studio B, and Shepard Smith Reporting. After leaving Fox News in 2019, he joined CNBC in 2020. At CNBC, he hosted The News with Shepard Smith, a daily evening news program. This show ended in November 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Shepard Smith was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi. His mother, Dora Ellen Anderson, was an English teacher. His father, David Shepard Smith Sr., worked in the cotton business. Smith went to Marshall Academy in Holly Springs.
After high school, his parents separated, and he moved to Florida with his mother. He studied journalism at the University of Mississippi. He left college just before finishing his degree to start a job as a reporter in Panama City, Florida. In 2008, Smith returned to the university to give a speech at their graduation ceremony.
Journalism Career
Starting in Television News
Smith began his career in television news at WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida. He then worked at WJHG-TV in Panama City Beach, Florida. He also had reporting jobs at WBBH-TV in Fort Myers, WSVN in Miami, and WCPX-TV (now WKMG-TV) in Orlando. Later, Smith became a reporter for the TV show A Current Affair.
Time at Fox News Channel
Shepard Smith joined the Fox News Channel when it first began in 1996. During his time at Fox News, he reported on many important events. These included the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial in 1998. He also covered the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the execution of Timothy McVeigh in 2001. Smith reported on Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the death of Michael Jackson in 2009.
In 2003, his show The Fox Report with Shepard Smith was one of the top cable news programs in the U.S. Many people trusted him as a news anchor. In 2013, he became a managing editor for Fox News's breaking news division. He also started hosting Shepard Smith Reporting.
In September 2012, while covering a police chase live, an unexpected event happened on air. Smith apologized to viewers afterward, explaining it was "due to human error."
In November 2017, Smith reported on a complex story about a Russian company buying a uranium company. His reporting on this topic was different from what some other Fox hosts were saying.
On October 11, 2019, Smith announced that he was leaving Fox News. He later explained that he found it difficult to continue reporting the news accurately there.
Moving to CNBC
On July 8, 2020, the business news network CNBC announced that Shepard Smith would join them. He became their main general news anchor. Smith hosted The News with Shepard Smith, a news program that aired on weekdays at 7:00 p.m. ET. The show started on September 30, 2020.
CNBC stated that the program aimed to tell "deeply reported stories across the entire landscape of global news." His show ended in November 2022, and he left CNBC that month.
After Fox News
On November 21, 2019, Shepard Smith gave a speech at the CPJ International Press Freedom Awards. He talked about how important it is for journalists to be able to do their jobs safely. He also warned about leaders who try to make it hard for reporters to share the truth. At this event, Smith gave $500,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which helps protect reporters.
Film Appearances
Shepard Smith appeared as himself in the 1997 movie Volcano. Video of him anchoring on Fox News during the start of the 2003 Iraq War was used in the film Fahrenheit 9/11. Also, old video of Smith anchoring Shepard Smith Reporting during the 2016 US presidential election was used in the 2019 movie Bombshell.
Personal Life
Shepard Smith married Virginia Donald, a classmate from the University of Mississippi, in 1987. They divorced in 1993.
See also
- New Yorkers in journalism
