FOX 5's Lori Stokes announces retirement

Lori Stokes gives emotional good-bye

There were plenty of tears as Lori Stokes said goodbye on Good Day New York.

NEW YORK - FOX 5 News anchor Lori Stokes has announced that she is going to retire. Her last day of anchoring on FOX 5 will be Sept. 30, 2022.

"FOX 5 has been so wonderful to me since I joined in 2017, consistently providing me with new opportunities—from co-hosting their flagship morning show Good Day New York to becoming the station’s first solo, African American anchor on the 6 o’clock news," Stokes said in making her announcement.

Lori Stokes signs off for the final time

Lori Stokes signs off for the final time as anchor of the 6 O'Clock News on FOX 5 NY.

She previously spent 17 years working at WABC. Prior to that she worked at MSNBC/NBC. While there she reported for "NBC Nightly News Weekend" and anchored for "NBC Sunrise" and "Weekend Today Show."

Stokes has reported on some of the biggest stories over her 40-year career, from 9/11, John F. Kennedy Jr.’s death, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Columbine and Newtown massacres, the Blackout of 2003, and Hurricanes Sandy and Hugo.

Lori Stokes looks back on some of her highlights from Good Day New York

Lori and Rosanna looked back on some of the highlights of their years together on Good Day New York.

Stokes was the first African American to broadcast on MSNBC.

She has interviewed figures such as President Gerald Ford, Senator John McCain, Oprah, Spike Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Joe Theismann, Robin Roberts, James Brown, Harry Belafonte, Gore Vidal, and countless others.

She was honored with the George P. Foster Peabody Award for her September 11, 2001 coverage of the World Trade Center attack and received the 2003 Congressional Black Caucus Celebration of Leadership Award for her civic service and her status as a positive role model.

Lew Leone, the SVP/GM of WNYW FOX 5 said, "It was divine intervention which brought Lori to FOX 5. She is a tremendous talent and a legend in the NY Market. Her incredible combination of kindness, caring, dedication and sense of service will be truly missed. We wish her and her family a great next chapter."

Stokes says, "I want to say thank you to the millions of viewers across generations who have given me the best days and gotten me through the hardest ones. They have trusted me with reporting the news every day—both the good and the bad. I will forever owe my success to the viewers."