Lori Stokes is one of those journalists that you would never tire of listening to or watching. Not only does she exude such confidence in her work, but her eloquence and excellent reporting make her your best everyday anchor. A former news anchor, she was one of MCNBC’s first anchors after its launch in 1996, as well as the first African American to speak on the network.
Stokes co-hosts Fox’s Good Day at WNYW in New YorkNew York, with Rosanna Scotto after 17 years co-anchoring several WABC’s Eyewitness News programs. We have not only covered his professional achievements, but also his personal life. Go ahead and find out all about her.
Lori Stokes Bio
Born on September 16, 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Lori Stokes is one of the four children of Jay and Louis Stokes, American lawyer and politician. His father represented Cleveland as a U.S. congressman for 30 years, until his retirement in 1999. He died in 2015, aged 90.
She has American nationality and holds African American ethnicity. Her brother Chuck Stokes is a reporter for WXYZ-TV in Detriot, while her sister Angela R. Stokes is a Cleveland Municipal Court judge. She has another sister named Shelley Stokes-Hammond. His uncle, Carl R. Stokes, became the first African-American mayor of a major American city, Cleveland, Ohio.
Lori studied briefly at Ohio State University, intending to become a novelist before moving on to Howard University where she eventually majored in broadcast journalism.
Professional Achievements
She began her career in 1986 initially as a medical reporter at the WCIA in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, then as a weekend co-anchor later that year. Two years later, she joined WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina as a reporter and weekend anchor. She was with the network until 1990, rising to fame among her viewers before moving to Baltimore.
In Baltimore, Lori Stokes worked as a crime and street reporter for the city’s Fox station, WBFF-TV. From 1992 to 1996, she served as the female lead anchor of 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news shows at WJLA-TV that utilized her hands-on experience for a full-time anchor position, preparing her for such roles.
Shortly after, 24-hour cable television MSNBC launched on July 15, 1996. It landed there. The channel was created to provide news coverage and political commentary on NBC News news. Lori Stokes not only became one of the channel’s original anchors, but also the first African-American to speak on the network. She was a rotating newsreader for NBC Sunrise and Weekend Today. Additionally, she covered the Columbine High School Massacre and the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in 1999 while on the network.
In 2000, she was replaced on MSNBC. Today in America by new recruit, Ashleigh Banfield, shortly after joining the cable news network. Her next port of call was New York.
Lori Stokes joined the WABC-TV News channel on Eyewitnesses This Morning in April 2000 as co-anchor. She joined the station as part of an effort to boost ratings on the morning newscast and help bring the show back to number one. On board, her first co-anchor was Robb Hanrahan, but when they couldn’t live up to the network’s expectations, she was replaced by former weekend jock Steve Bartelstein in December 2000. They quickly took over the duties of anchoring Eyewitness Noon News
On July 9, 2007, journalist Ken Rosato replaced her longtime partner, Bartelstein on both platforms. Three years later, the morning paper started from 4:30 a.m. and in 2014, the midday paper followed with a one-hour extension. This extended their already long days. However, in June 2015, they were relieved of their midday duties by David Navarro and Shirleen Allicot. Stokes remained with WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News until August 2017, when she left after 17 years of association with the channel.
She has since dedicated her time to Good Day New York as a co-host with Rosanna Scotto on Fox-5 WNYW after joining the network in October 2017.
Lori Stokes’ Former Husband – Brian Thompson
Stokes is not only a good journalist, but a beautiful woman too. Her majestic figure and detailed features caught the eye of Brian Thompson during the job interview for WBTV, a CBC affiliate. Two years later, the duo exchanged their connective vows.
Thompson is also a journalist. He has been a New Jersey Bureau Reporter for WNBC since 1998 and is also a surrogate anchor on the network. Before joining the channel, he produced numerous political reports for several television stations across the United States. He is also the recipient of an Emmy Award and numerous journalism awards.
They had two adorable daughters, Nicolette Thompson and Alexandra Thompson before their divorce. As with most breakups in entertainment and media, the cause of Thompson’s divorce has not been disclosed. You might as well put it in the “irreconcilable differences” box. The former couple, however, remained close friends for the sake of their daughters.