%0AHarris Faulkner is an American television host and newscaster. She is renowned for her show on the Fox News Channel, ‘Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner’, as well as being a co-host on her political show, ‘Town Hall America with Harris Faulkner’. She has a special place in history as the only female African American to host a daily news show on one of the three major news networks. Additionally, she is a multiple Emmy Award winner and a pioneer in the field of journalism. In this article, we will reveal 10 facts about her that you may not have known.
1. Faulkner was born in 1965
Harris and Kimberly Faulkner were born in October 1965 at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, their parents were stationed in a military base in Vietnam. She later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication.
2. Started her career anchoring in the daily news
Faulkner started her career as a daily news anchor and she also moderated town hall meetings. As her experience grew, Faulkner transitioned to interviewing sitting heads of state. Her programs and interviews with high-profile guests helped shape her career into the journalism icon she is today. Her rise to fame began in Kansas City and is closely linked with covering sports events. Eventually, her involvement with sports catapulted her to national fame alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions.
3. Awards and honors
Harris Faulkner is a six-time Emmy Award winner. She has won a 2005 Emmy Award for Best Newscaster and Best News Special. Faulkner also received the 1998 Amelia Earhart Pioneering Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her humanitarian efforts.
4. Is a mother to two girls
Tony Berlin, a former WCCO-TV reporter, and Harris Faulkner married in 2003. Together, they have two daughters who, in 2020, will be 11 and 14. Both of the girls are avid followers of American football, a direct influence from Faulkner’s passion for the game. For her, football is both a meaningful aspect of her career, as well as something she genuinely loves. In an interview with Chiefs’ Wire, USA Today, Harris spoke about her two daughters watching her support of the game, “My youngest daughter Danika said to me, ‘You know, Mommy, I love the fact that you’re able to believe in them even when they’re losing.’ She expressed her hopes, as well as the lessons her girls might learn from watching her. They follow the Super Bowl almost religiously, and for Faulkner, it extends to being an opportunity to teach her girls important life lessons.
5. Grew up in a military family
Harris has gained a wealth of knowledge to impart to the world from her upbringing in a military family. Her father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Bob Harris, was a US Army officer and Army Aviator. By the time Harris was born, her father was stationed at a military base in Vietnam. She upholds the values and ideals that were a part of growing up in a military home. The principles she acquired during her childhood have helped to shape her career in journalism and enabled her to reach the pinnacle of success.
6. Author of ‘9 Rules of Engagement: A Military Brat’s Guide to Life and Success’
So meaningful were the lessons she picked up as a child of a military officer that she has penned a book, “9 Rules of Engagement: A Military Brat’s Guide to Life and Success.” In the book, she shares the life skills and tools she learned and practiced, which shaped her view of life and career. She details how these values can be incorporated into anyone’s life to help them attain maximum success.
7. She is the highest viewed newscaster across viewer demographics
Faulkner joined Fox News in 2005, and has since been one of the most prominent anchors. She remains at the top of the list of most-viewed newscasters. In 2014, she launched ‘Outnumbered’, a roundtable conversation featuring top news anchors discussing human-interest topics such as altered weather patterns and politics of the day, as well as tributes to famous icons. Initially, the show had a panel of five women, but with audience growth, Fox News Chairman, together with CEO Suzanne Scott, proposed a change of panelists to include one male panelist and four female panelists. This new twist in the script became, ‘what if he was considered to be outnumbered?’ The show has been a great success since its launch, debuting at number 1 in its slot and maintaining its position ever since.
8. Admits to needing a mentor and a friend
Part of the challenges of hosting ‘Outnumbered’ is that the nature of the discussions can thrust one into the national spotlight due to a single comment made on the show. To stay on top of the game in these treacherous multi-opinion debates, Faulkner says one must be sharp and always alert. With this kind of pressure, she claims it is imperative to have a friend who can assist one in navigating these highly stressful situations. Faulkner’s such friend is from her Kansas City days and a former player with the Kansas City Chiefs – Nick Lowery. He is a former kicker for the Chiefs and has been a reliable companion through the years as Faulkner progressed through different phases of life and career.
9. Has authored ‘Breaking News: God Has A Plan’
Faulkner has written another book, ‘Breaking News: God Has A Plan — An Anchorwoman’s Journey Through Faith’. Published in 1999, ‘Breaking News: God Has a Plan’ is a detailed account of her experience as the target of a stalker. Harris shifted from being the one making the news to being the news in a series of unpleasant events. The offenses ranged from scratching her Mazda Miata with a sexual epithet to sneaking into her house while she slept. The case gained a lot of attention. Out of the experience came the book. The message is that bad and good things occur; they are part of God’s plan.
10. Is a trailblazer in journalism
The Conservative Book Club says of Harris Faulkner, “Harris Faulkner is a multiple Emmy award-winning newscaster and trailblazer in her field.” She has interviewed numerous influential figures, including Senator John McCain, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, White House Counsel Kellyanne Conway, renowned musician Gene Simmons, and NFL legend Joe Theismann, among others. Faulkner has also been present at major global events such as the 9/11 attacks, Whitney Houston’s passing, the AIDS crisis in South Africa, and more. There is no better word to describe Harris Faulkner than ‘trailblazer.’
Conclusion
Her books reveal a woman who takes the lead and makes things happen. More importantly, Harris Faulkner is a compassionate leader who demonstrates this through her experiences in a military home, being on the receiving end of a stalker’s attention, and now as a mother. This human aspect makes her a media icon to emulate.
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