Cable-news anchors come and go all the time. They often are lured by more lucrative contracts, pushed out by jittery executives or just grow tired of the grind.
The abrupt and immediate departure of Shepard Smith from Fox News falls into none of those categories. On Friday afternoon, the longtime host delivered an emotional farewell to his viewers: “Recently, I asked the company to allow me to leave Fox News," said the 55-year-old Smith, who had been with the network since its 1996 launch. “After requesting that I stay, they obliged. . . . This is my last newscast here. Thank you for watching today and over the decades. . . . Even in our currently polarized nation, it’s my hope that the facts will win the day. That the truth will always matter, that journalism and journalists will thrive.”
