RITA COSBY, EMMY AWARD-WINNING TV HOST AND BEST SELLING AUTHOR
Rita Cosby is one of the most recognized and respected broadcasters in America and has been quoted and profiled by hundreds of media outlets across the country and overseas.
Born in Brooklyn, she is a renowned Emmy-winning TV host, veteran correspondent and multiple best selling author, who anchored highly rated primetime shows on Fox News Channel and MSNBC. She is currently a special correspondent for the top-rated CBS syndicated newsmagazine, Inside Edition, does frequent hosting and reporting for CNN/HLN, and hosts “The Rita Cosby Show” on the legendary WABC Radio, the most listened to talk station in America.
She was the youngest senior correspondent in the country for a national TV news organization when she extensively covered the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, breaking many major stories in Washington, DC. In 2015, she was also named WABC’s Political Editor and Host of “Election Central with Rita Cosby,” which consistently features interviews with top political newsmakers that are shared with all Cumulus/Westwood One stations across the nation. Heralded as one of the Most Influential Women in Radio in both 2014 and 2015 by Radio Ink Magazine, she was also honored in 2015, and again in 2016, with two prestigious Gracie Awards for “Outstanding Host” and“Outstanding Talk Show.”
Throughout her illustrious TV career, Rita has secured some of the biggest interviews, including exclusives with more than twenty world leaders, including five U.S. Presidents. She conducted historic back-to-back interviews with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, met with Fidel Castro in Cuba, and was one of the last American journalists to meet with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Rita was also granted rare meetings with Pope Benedict XVI, and years earlier with Pope John Paul II to discuss death penalty issues after receiving an exclusive letter from Timothy McVeigh explaining why he carried out the Oklahoma City Bombing. In June 2014, she made international headlines when she interviewed Pope Francis at the Vatican about his historic Mideast Peace Summit.
The first reporter to see prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and witness an actual interrogation, she also interviewed Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic who called her from his prison cell at the Hague where he stood trial for war crimes. While broadcasting live from Belgrade during the NATO bombing, she broke the news that three American POWs were going to be released. During Hurricane Katrina, she provided extensive, live coverage, hosting shows from New Orleans, revealing the widespread devastation, and soon after reported live from the war zone in Afghanistan and then along the US – Mexico border.
Additionally, she has conducted exclusive interviews with Erik Menendez and Dr. Jack Kevorkian, both behind bars. She’s also interviewed numerous celebrities and sports stars including Michael Jackson, Simon Cowell, Tom Hanks, Mike Tyson, Bruce Willis, Matt Damon, Stevie Wonder, Jon Bon Jovi, Hank Aaron, Mariano Rivera and Dennis Rodman.
Honors for the three-time Emmy winner include the Matrix Award, Headliner Award and Jack Anderson Award for journalism excellence. She was also selected by Cosmopolitan Magazine as a“Fun and Fearless Female.” A recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Lech Walesa Freedom Award, she annually hosts the National Memorial Day Parade broadcast to all US military installations around the world.
She has written back-to-back New York Times Best Sellers. Her recent one, “QUIET HERO: Secrets From My Father’s Past,” details her fascinating discovery about her own father, a Nazi prisoner of war, who was saved by American troops. Having spoken at the United Nations, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, her critically acclaimed book has become required reading at major US universities and used as a centerpiece for discussions on those dealing with Post Traumatic Stress and their families. A highly sought-after and gifted public speaker, she has traveled to six continents and captivated audiences with her powerful and deeply personal stories.
Because of Rita’s “extraordinary journalism and exemplary service on behalf of her community,” October 11th, 2010 was officially named “Rita Cosby Day” in the State of New York. In 2011, she was recognized by the US Congress for her professional and charitable achievements.