Rita Cosby
Encyclopedia
Rita Cosby is a television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best selling author. She is currently a Special Correspondent for the CBS
syndicated program Inside Edition
, specializing in interviewing newsmakers and political figures. Cosby has received three Emmy Award
s, the Jack Anderson Award for investigative excellence, the Matrix Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
, and the Lech Walesa Freedom Award. October 11, 2010, was declared "Rita Cosby Day" in the State of New York
for her “extraordinary journalism and exemplary service on behalf of her community.”
, Cosby grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut
, where she attended Greenwich High School
and freelanced for the local paper. She earned her bachelor's degree
s from the University of South Carolina
. Cosby balanced college with a position at WACH-TV
, the local FOX
affiliate. After an internship working for Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News
, Cosby found work as an anchor/reporter at KERO-TV
in Bakersfield, California
, and WBTV
in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
. At Fox, she hosted both The Big Story
Weekend Edition with Rita Cosby and Fox News Live
with Rita Cosby.
She has interviewed over twenty world leaders, conducting historic back-to-back interviews with Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat
and Israel
i Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
. She was the first reporter to see prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. She also interviewed Serbia
n president Slobodan Milošević
who called her from his prison cell at the Hague
. Years earlier, while broadcasting live from Belgrade
during the NATO bombing, she broke the news that three American POWs
were going to be released.
Cosby also made national headlines for her interviews with boxer Mike Tyson
, singer Michael Jackson
and convicted serial killer David Berkowitz
, "The Son of Sam," who wrote to her during the Washington, D.C.
sniper shootings in October 2002. As that story unfolded, Cosby secured another major first, by reporting the names and license plate numbers of the sniper suspects. In 2001, Cosby's interview with flight attendant Anne Marie Smith led to a U.S. Attorney's Office investigation of Rep. Gary Condit
for obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Cosby served as a lead reporter during the 1996 and 2000 Presidential campaigns. During the Monica Lewinsky
investigation, she broke the news that President Bill Clinton
was about to be subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. After receiving an exclusive letter from Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing, she was granted a rare meeting with Pope John Paul II to discuss death penalty issues.
, both also behind bars. She left the network in 2007 to pursue other media offers and projects.
. She has been filing reports for the show since 2007, interviewing newsmakers from multiple locations across the United States.
Cosby has filled in for Nancy Grace
multiple times on the latter's HLN program and guests hosts on many radio stations such as WOR, WABC and WMAL.
, Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death. The book details the circumstances around the death of the model in 2007. The book has become a New York Times bestseller. Blonde Ambition garned the attention of members surrounding Anna Nicole Smith's estate, resulting in a civil lawsuit against Cosby and her publisher. Two years later the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book support D.A.R.E..
fighter who battled the Nazis during the Warsaw Uprising
in World War II
. Senator John McCain
called it, “a loving, poignant tribute to her P.O.W. father and freedom.” Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
said it’s “a beautiful tribute to the strength of the human spirit.” Lech Wałęsa
, former President of Poland, said of Cosby’s father, “One of Poland’s great treasures has now been found.” In 2010, a resolution was passed in the South Carolina Legislature honoring Rita Cosby and her father. The book has raised money for the USO to help wounded soldiers and their families.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
syndicated program Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, specializing in interviewing newsmakers and political figures. Cosby has received three Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, the Jack Anderson Award for investigative excellence, the Matrix Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
, and the Lech Walesa Freedom Award. October 11, 2010, was declared "Rita Cosby Day" in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for her “extraordinary journalism and exemplary service on behalf of her community.”
Biography
The daughter of a Danish mother and a Polish father Ryszard Kossobudzki who came to the United States after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Cosby grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, where she attended Greenwich High School
Greenwich High School
Greenwich High School is a four-year public high school in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The school is part of the Greenwich Public Schools system and serves roughly 2,700 students....
and freelanced for the local paper. She earned her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. Cosby balanced college with a position at WACH-TV
WACH
WACH is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Midlands of South Carolina. It is licensed to Columbia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter along SC 12 in Southwestern Kershaw County. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, the station has studios on...
, the local FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate. After an internship working for Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
, Cosby found work as an anchor/reporter at KERO-TV
KERO-TV
KERO-TV is a television station serving Bakersfield, California. It is an ABC affiliate owned by McGraw-Hill, and transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 10. Syndicated programming on KERO includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Ellen....
in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, and WBTV
WBTV
WBTV, channel 3 , is the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is one of two flagship stations of Raycom Media. WBTV's studios are located off Morehead Street just west of Uptown Charlotte, and its transmitter is located in north-central Gaston County, North Carolina...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Fox News Channel
From 1995 to 2005, Cosby worked at Fox NewsFox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
. At Fox, she hosted both The Big Story
The Big Story
The Big Story, which debuted in 2000, was an American news/talk television program on the Fox News Channel, hosted by John Gibson and Heather Nauert weekdays. It was taken off in March 2008, replaced with America's Election Headquarters, an hour of news related to the 2008 United States...
Weekend Edition with Rita Cosby and Fox News Live
Fox News Live
Fox News Live was an American news/talk television program, the hard-news daytime programming of the Fox News Channel. In addition, it also referred to the short headline segments of nearly every hour daily.-About:...
with Rita Cosby.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
leader Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
. She was the first reporter to see prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. She also interviewed Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n president Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
who called her from his prison cell at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Years earlier, while broadcasting live from Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
during the NATO bombing, she broke the news that three American POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
were going to be released.
Cosby also made national headlines for her interviews with boxer Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, singer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and convicted serial killer David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz
David Richard Berkowitz , also known as Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and arsonist whose crimes terrorized New York City from July 1976 until his arrest in August 1977.Shortly after his arrest in August 1977, Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and...
, "The Son of Sam," who wrote to her during the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
sniper shootings in October 2002. As that story unfolded, Cosby secured another major first, by reporting the names and license plate numbers of the sniper suspects. In 2001, Cosby's interview with flight attendant Anne Marie Smith led to a U.S. Attorney's Office investigation of Rep. Gary Condit
Gary Condit
Gary Adrian Condit is a former American politician, a Democrat who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003...
for obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Cosby served as a lead reporter during the 1996 and 2000 Presidential campaigns. During the Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
investigation, she broke the news that President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
was about to be subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. After receiving an exclusive letter from Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing, she was granted a rare meeting with Pope John Paul II to discuss death penalty issues.
MSNBC Television
In 2005, Cosby moved to MSNBC to host a primetime weeknight show, Rita Cosby Live & Direct. It became the network’s highest-rated show that year, and she did extensive reports for other NBC programs, including The Today Show. She traveled for the network, originating live for several weeks from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region to report on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as from the war zone in Afghanistan and along the U.S.-Mexico border. She conducted the last broadcast interview with former Crips gang leader Stanley “Tookie” Williams and was one of a few journalists to witness his execution at San Quentin Prison. Additionally, she conducted rare interviews with Erik Menendez and Dr. Jack KevorkianJack Kevorkian
Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian , commonly known as "Dr. Death", was an American pathologist, euthanasia activist, painter, composer and instrumentalist. He is best known for publicly championing a terminal patient's right to die via physician-assisted suicide; he said he assisted at least 130 patients to...
, both also behind bars. She left the network in 2007 to pursue other media offers and projects.
Inside Edition
Currently, Cosby is a Special Correspondent for the CBS syndicated program Inside EditionInside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
. She has been filing reports for the show since 2007, interviewing newsmakers from multiple locations across the United States.
Other media activities and appearances
Since 2009, she co-hosts the worldwide broadcast of The National Memorial Day Parade simulcast to all US military installations around the globe. Well-known in the Mideast, Cosby also interviewed candidates about foreign policy on Israel's TV show, “The Ambassador.” Additionally, Cosby has co-chaired various events internationally, including the Intersec Security Conference in Dubai in 2009. and the Euro-American Women’s Council Forum in Greece in 2010. She was selected by Cosmpopolitan Magazine as a “Fun and Fearless Female.”Cosby has filled in for Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace
Nancy Ann Grace is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation...
multiple times on the latter's HLN program and guests hosts on many radio stations such as WOR, WABC and WMAL.
Blonde Ambition
On September 4, 2007, Cosby released a book about Anna Nicole SmithAnna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
, Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death. The book details the circumstances around the death of the model in 2007. The book has become a New York Times bestseller. Blonde Ambition garned the attention of members surrounding Anna Nicole Smith's estate, resulting in a civil lawsuit against Cosby and her publisher. Two years later the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book support D.A.R.E..
Quiet Hero
In 2010, Cosby released a memoir, Quiet Hero: Secrets From My Father’s Past. The book became a best-seller on several lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post.She uncovered a story of heroism and courage in her own family, detailing her father’s youth as a Polish ResistancePolish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
fighter who battled the Nazis during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
called it, “a loving, poignant tribute to her P.O.W. father and freedom.” Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
said it’s “a beautiful tribute to the strength of the human spirit.” Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
, former President of Poland, said of Cosby’s father, “One of Poland’s great treasures has now been found.” In 2010, a resolution was passed in the South Carolina Legislature honoring Rita Cosby and her father. The book has raised money for the USO to help wounded soldiers and their families.