Edward and Linda Kelly lived in Illinois when they welcomed the future broadcaster named Megyn into the world. Soon after, they moved to New York, where Megyn would spend most of her early childhood and attended Bethlehem Central High School and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Megyn started her intense career path as a lawyer, first at Bickel & Brewer LLP in Chicago and then at Jones Day law firm. There she worked as a corporate litigator for nearly ten years. 

After marrying Megan Daniel Kendall in 2001, the couple was divorced five years later. However, the talented and beautiful Megyn married again in 2009, this time to Douglas Brunt who, at the time, ran a cybersecurity firm. He has since become a novelist.

Megyn's background in law gave her some unique insights into being a broadcast journalist. She could also use plenty of those skills in the course of her new job. Early in her new career, she was tasked with being the correspondent to the legal confirmation hearings for supreme court judges Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and John G. Roberts.

John Klein, then CNN boss, was quoted saying that he deeply regretted losing out to Fox when it came to snapping up her Megyn's immense talent. Nonetheless, Kelly signed with Fox in 2004 and seemed primed to become a significant player there.

Megyn fell into an assignment hosting an afternoon show called America Live, where she earned her first big career win. The show dealt with hot political topics of the day and a few social issues. Again, there would often be debates surrounding the legal framework of these topics.

Kelly caused a few raised eyebrows during the 2012 presidential election when she confronted Republican pundits live on air about their analysis. During a live broadcast on election night, Fox projected victory for Barack Obama.

Upon returning to the air after leaving America Live with Megyn Kelly, the anchor debuted a new show, The Kelly File. The show was an immediate rating success. Clearly, Megyn's star was on the rise. The show even challenged the flagship The O'Reilly Factor as Fox's top-rated show from time to time. But it was not without its share of controversy. 

The Kelly File was a top-rated show for a good reason. Kelly managed to secure impressive scoops and guests in the run of the play. One of the most memorable was an interview with the parents of Josh Duggar in 2015.

Kelly was involved as a moderator for a Fox News debate during the 2015 presidential race. Once again, her presence controversy surrounded the anchor when candidate Donald Trump questioned her professionalism. In the exchange, Kelly responded in kind, saying she would not apologize for "doing good journalism." 

Although she had successfully run more than one show at Fox, a critic seemed to pull at a thread that put a strain on Kelly’s work at the network. In 2016, Gabriel Sherman suggested that Kelly was posturing her work as a bid to do a new show or possibly to negotiate a better contract. 

In 2016, Fox boss Roger Ailes was accused of the sexual harassment of several employees. Kelly made a public statement confirming that she had been one of those propositioned by Ailes. Ailes’ lawyer denied the allegations, but Ailes nonetheless resigned after a few days.

In 2016, Kelly capitalized on her immense popularity with a book deal amounting to almost $10 million. She penned an autobiography called Settle for More that year to mixed reviews. The book deals with her life and career and mentions several of the controversies that have come about, including the Trump incident.

Megyn’s Fox contract demanded that she be off the air for at least six months after leaving the network. Soon after that period ended, she started appearing in various NBC shows, including Sesame Street. After several weeks of rumors, the New York Times finally confirmed that Kelly would be joining NBC.

Since launching at NBC, Megyn’s role at NBC has declined to some degree, with the Sunday night news show only occasionally airing, pre-empted by the sports seasons like NFL and special events like the Olympics coverage on the network.

It is estimated that Megyn earned between $15 million and $20 million in her NBC contract, so she was likely not desperate to go anywhere she didn't want to. Instead, she founded her own production company, Devil May Care Media, which was tasked with producing a Megyn Kelly podcast.

Fans will be glad to know that Megyn still courts controversy from time to time. Her views on the Harry and Meghan situation have often drawn outrage or at least raised eyebrows from commentators. It seems an ongoing saga, with the host coming across as critical of the duchess.

Despite being a hard worker that seems both motivated and tireless, Kelly is known for frequently gushing about her kids and motherhood, declaring on her profile that she is 'Crazy in Love' with Edward, Yardley, and Thatcher. 
 

Edward Yates, the eldest, loves his dog Thunder. Megyn says he loves to read, and with the dog by his side at all times, the two are best friends. Daughter Yardley Evans seems to be her mother's darling. Megyn seems to be anywhere her daughter needs her, even at the school dance dressed in an impeccable 1970s costume.

Megyn’s careers at Fox and NBC were very lucrative. As a popular anchor, she was frequently at the top of the ratings, earning her big contracts and salaries. As of 2022, her estimated worth is $55 million. 

Presenting Facts or Opinions - How Do the 19 Biggest News Anchors Rank in Terms of Audience Trust?

News anchors occupy a big role in our day-to-day lives. Though we often don’t even register them, we see and listen to them every day on our television screens. No matter which news network you prefer, you will almost certainly know the names and faces of a few of them. But can they all be trusted? With all the changes happening across the world, the news anchors who deliver our daily updates have become celebrities in their own rights. But some are considered to be more trustworthy by the American people than others. The Morning Consult asked American viewers which news anchors they trusted, ranked from those they trust “a lot” to those they trust “not at all”. Combining all that information, they were able to rank some of America’s most well-known faces into a list of the most and least trustworthy. Does everyone feel the same as you do? Where does your favorite host sit on the scale?

Sean Hannity, 30% - Least Trustworthy
Sean Hannity fronts the prime-time show Hannity on the Fox News Channel. Fox News has consistently been one of America’s most-watched cable news channels for many years now. In fact, it is the most-watched U.S. cable network amongst both daytime and prime-time viewers, and Hannity sits at the top of the Fox News hierarchy, frequently ranking number one in terms of ratings. 

News shows are often very polarized to either the liberal or conservative side with little middle-ground. In news circles, Rachel Maddow reigns supreme. The Rachel Maddow Show, a prime-time show on MSNBC, routinely has the highest ratings of any show on the network. Despite this, the show doesn’t rake in nearly as many viewers as its competitors on Fox News. 

Don Lemon is a name that has been around since 2006 when he joined CNN, but only recently has he risen in prominence. Coverage of the 2016 election cycle helped to skyrocket him into the higher echelons of the network, and he now hosts Tonight with Don Lemon on CNN. He is notable as one of the only Black news anchors on prime-time cable television. 

Perhaps one of the most vocal and outspoken news anchors on TV, Mika Brzezinski doesn’t hold back. She presents the morning show Morning Joe on MSNBC alongside her husband Joe Scarborough. Each morning, she lays her thoughts about the day’s politics out on the table for all to see, both literally and figuratively. Next to her famously large cup of coffee, she always lays out her extensive notes on the table before unleashing her opinions on some of the world’s most powerful politicians. 

Chris Matthews is one of the stalwart news anchors on American cable TV. He has been presenting since 1999 when he became the face of Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is shown on MSNBC. Prior to that, Matthews hosted America’s Talking, a show with a very similar format on CNBC. 

Together with his wife, Joe Scarborough presents the MSNBC program Morning Joe. Joe doesn’t hold back on his strong, opinions and it is this harsh news reporting that has made many viewers turn off. 
 

Tucker Carlson is a divisionary news anchor. He is very popular amongst the voting population, with many voting him as their favorite news anchor on television. But when looking at all the poll respondents, Carlson’s opinions weren’t quite so popular, with 21% of people not trusting him at all. 

Chris Cuomo is one of the best-known news anchors, but he has failed so far to establish a distinct personality for himself and his news reporting. In an article about him in the New York Times, it was said, “his mad-as-hell attacks on government failures lacked the explanatory clarity offered by [Rachel] Maddow” and “his celebrity quality - taut T-shirts, bulging biceps, workout videos on Instagram - didn’t connect to the political moment."

Even if she’s not the most trusted news anchor on the list, you probably know exactly what she’s thinking - because Laura Ingraham will just come out and say it. It is this brutal honesty, that has often gotten her into trouble.

Anderson Cooper, with his vibrantly white hair and thick-framed, black glasses, is instantly recognizable. Cooper is a staple news anchor on CNN and has been hosting his own show, Anderson Cooper 360°, since 2003. He has become a common sight on our screens and news networks and it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. 

Now we’ve looked at the 10 least trusted news anchors, it’s time to look at the 10 considered most trustworthy. First up is Craig Melvin. Melvin works on MSNBC and is known both on and off the screen as one of the happiest and most cheerful anchors on television.

Most conservative news anchors and commentators tend to polarize their viewership in a big way, especially the best-known names. That is, all except for one Fox News host - Chris Wallace. He has managed to avoid this controversy and is well-liked and trusted within both liberal and conservative circles. 

George Stephanopoulos was not always a journalist. In fact, in his early career, he received a lot of press coverage himself as the communications director for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. Upon the success of the campaign, he also went on to work as President Clinton’s communications director in the White House. Aged just 35, he decided he needed a career change and left his career behind him to pursue other things.

Andrea Mitchell has certainly got her head in the news game and is renowned for her unflappable nature and composure. She delivers some of the biggest news stories in America in a calm, measured way and offers some of the most well-analyzed takes on the daily news. Currently working at NBC News, Mitchell has spent much of her career covering the State Department, where she is famous for not being afraid to stand up and ask the most difficult questions. 

The career of Brian Williams has been long and fruitful. He has developed a reputation of being able to deliver updates and developments about even the most devastating or surprising news items with calm level-headedness. However, his ability to spin a story has also gotten him into trouble over the years. 

Harris Faulkner began her career at Outnumbered, which was arguably Fox News Channel’s answer to The View. Sitting alongside three other women and “#OneLuckyGuy”, Faulkner managed to get herself noticed with her astute opinions and discussions on the politics of the day. 

Robin Roberts is familiar as one of the key figureheads of Good Morning America. Good Morning America is ABC’s flagship show and is consistently rated as the most popular breakfast show across all broadcast television. On one of the most trusted shows on TV, Roberts is certainly one of the most trusted hosts, with over 28% of poll respondents saying that they trust her “a lot”.

ABC is one of America’s biggest television networks with over 12 million viewers tuning in to their evening news shows each day. One of their flagship shows is World News Tonight with David Muir, which unsurprisingly, is hosted by David Muir. The show is extremely popular amongst many demographics and it has made Muir a household name across the States. 

Yes, Anderson Cooper was also listed as one of the least trusted names in news - but clearly, enough people have complete confidence in him that he is also the second most trusted name on the list! Perhaps this result can be taken as evidence of how much Cooper can polarize his viewers.

Coming in at the top spot as the most trusted name in television news is Lester Holt with 32% of respondents saying that they trust him a lot. When Brian Williams left the lead role of NBC’s Nightly News open, Holt stepped into the breach. Since then, he has been steadily making a name for himself and is now one of NBC’s biggest stars.