Shepard Smith is stepping down from Fox News, the network announced on Friday. Friday’s showing of Shepard Smith Reporting was his last and will be temporarily replaced by a series of rotating anchors until a new dayside news program is announced.
A native of Holly Springs, Mississippi, Smith, 55, joined Fox News at its inception in 1996 after beginning his television career a decade earlier at WJHG-TV in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Smith, who was one of the network’s original hires in 1996, addressed his departure in the closing minutes of his show.
“A personal moment now. Gathering and reporting the news has been my life’s work. Thirty-three years, the past 23 right here, since the day we launched Fox News Channel in 1996. The opportunities afforded this guy from small-town Mississippi have been a many. Fox News has allowed me to travel the world gathering the facts of the day for you,” Smith stated.
“At Columbine, Katrina, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, 9/11, and every life-altering event along the way. I have met leaders, heroes, and victims of all strides. I’ve witnessed and reported on the events that shaped our reality,” he went on. “Together with my colleagues, we have written a first draft of history and endeavored to deliver it to you while speaking truth to power without fear or favor it in context and with perspective. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. For handing me the breaking news reins as managing editor, senior correspondent, and chief news anchor for this news network, I am thankful and humbled.”
Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of FOX News Media, said in a statement, “Shep is one of the premier newscasters of his generation and his extraordinary body of work is among the finest journalism in the industry.”
“His integrity and outstanding reporting from the field helped put FOX News on the map and there is simply no better breaking news anchor who has the ability to transport a viewer to a place of conflict, tragedy, despair or elation through his masterful delivery,” the statement went on. “We are proud of the signature reporting and anchoring style he honed at FOX News, along with everything he accomplished here during his monumental 23-year tenure. While this day is especially difficult as his former producer, we respect his decision and are deeply grateful for his immense contributions to the entire network.”
Smith has recently drawn the ire of President Trump for his comments about the president, a major backer of some of the network’s biggest on-air talents, including prime-time hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. Smith also got into a verbal tussle with Carlson last month after he criticized his colleague for not pushing back on a guest who insulted one of the network’s contributors.
