LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Shepard Smith upon the occasion of
receiving the Excellence in Media Award from the National Police Defense
Foundation on May 13, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize those
individuals of preeminent character whose lives exemplify the highest
ideals of humanity and whose lifework and civic endeavor serve to
enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great State of
New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Shepard Smith upon the occasion of receiving the Excellence in Media
Award from the National Police Defense Foundation at its Annual Awards
Dinner to be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010, at Russo's on the Bay,
Howard Beach, New York; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Shepard Smith has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent
leadership in his unwavering service to his community and profession and
consequently has been designated for this most prestigious award; and
WHEREAS, Enter the "G-Block" and go "Around the World in 80 Seconds"
with Shepard Smith, whose fast-paced anchoring is a glimpse into the
future of television news; his highly relatable reporting has been a
trademark on FOX News Channel (FNC) since he joined the network at its
inception in 1996; currently, he anchors FNC's signature evening news-
cast, "The Fox Report", which ranks in the top five programs in cable
news and has been number one in the 7 PM timeslot for 100 consecutive
months; and
WHEREAS, Shepard Smith also hosts an afternoon fast-paced
news/interview program, "Studio B with Shepard Smith"; both of his
programs are geared towards utilizing Smith's pull-no-punches attitude
to cover the stories of the day; and
WHEREAS, Recently, Shepard Smith reported on the breaking news of the
shooting at Fort Hood and conducted an exclusive interview with the
alleged shooter's co-worker, Col. Terry Lee; during the 2008 political
season, Smith reported from various locations including the Democratic
National Convention and the Republican National Convention; and
WHEREAS, Recognized as America's second most trusted news anchor in a
TV GUIDE poll, Shepard Smith has covered virtually every major news
story over the course of his career, including the conflict in the
Middle East from the Israel-Lebanon border, the funeral of Pope John
Paul II, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Columbia Shuttle disaster, the
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the subsequent
war in Afghanistan, and the Columbine shootings; he also provided exten-
sive coverage of Hurricane Katrina from the French Quarter and reported
on recovery efforts from Mississippi and later, the one-year anniversary
of the storm; and
WHEREAS, Shepard Smith began his stint at FNC as a New York based
general assignment reporter and was later promoted to senior correspond-
ent where he reported on numerous breaking news stories, including the
Jonesboro, Arkansas and Paducah, Kentucky school shootings; the 1997
standoff between the United Nations and Iraq, Princess Diana's funeral,
the murder of Gianni Versace, and the O.J. Simpson civil trial; and
WHEREAS, Before joining FNC, Shepard Smith was a Los Angeles based
"FOX News Edge" correspondent where he covered a wide range of stories
for the FOX affiliate news service, including the crash of TWA Flight
800, the Montana Freemen Standoff, the 1996 Presidential campaign, and
the Oklahoma City bombing; prior to his stint at "Fox News Edge" he

served as a news reporter for the Twentieth Television syndicated
program "A Current Affair"; and
WHEREAS, Beginning his career as a reporter for WJHG (NBC) in Panama
City, Shepard Smith went on to report for WBBH (NBC) in Fort Myers and
WCPX (CBS) in Orlando; his last assignment in Florida was at WSVN (FOX)
in Miami before he headed to Los Angeles to join "Fox News Edge"; he
attended the University of Mississippi and is a native of Holly Springs,
Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, Shepard Smith has, throughout his career and purposeful life,
served his community with integrity and devotion, continuously striving
to meet the needs of his audience through honesty and enlightenment; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Shepard Smith upon the occasion of receiving the President's Award
from the National Police Defense Foundation on May 13, 2010; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Shepard Smith.