Founding Fox News Channel anchor Uma Pemmaraju has died. Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott confirmed
the news on August 9, 2022 and praised the late anchor in a statement, saying,
"Uma was an incredibly talented journalist as well as a warm and lovely person,
best known for her kindness to everyone she worked with."
Pemmaraju, who was one of the first Indian-American anchors to work on a
national news network, broke barriers and made history as she went on-air the day
Fox News launched on October 7, 1996. She became a high-profile news anchor at the helm of Fox
News Now and Fox On Trends before expanding her horizons to hosting various specials and
filling in on different programs as a substitute host. Her cause of death was not made public,
but WBZ-TV News anchor David Wade spoke to her loved ones, saying on his nightly newscast:
"Her family told me tonight that she was a, quote, noble
soul and pioneer as an Indian Asian American news woman."
Fans of Pemmaraju have since chimed in on Twitter, calling her "awesome," "classy,"
and "an excellent reporter." Her trailblazing nature was also remembered, with one fan writing,
"It was as always supportive to not only see an Indian American reporter but a good one."
Indeed, throughout her career, Pemmaraju won a number of Emmys and was voted "Boston's
Best Anchor" in 1996 and 1997 by Boston Magazine. Uma Pemmaraju was
born in Rajahmundry [rah-zhuh-MUHN-dree], India in 1958, but grew up in San Antonio,
Texas after moving there with her family at age 6. Her interest in journalism was
sparked early on by her grandfather, a newspaper publisher in India. As a child,
she was so interested in news she jotted down world events she'd seen on TV in a daily journal.
However, Pemmaraju briefly pursued a different path, studying political science at San Antonio's
Trinity University. Even so, her heart was set on journalism and she found work at local news
stations in Dallas and Baltimore before getting her big break at WBZ-TV in Boston in the '90s.
She then joined Fox News Channel when it launched in 1996,
but left briefly to work at Bloomberg News before returning in 2003.
In addition to her work on the small screen, Pemmaraju also wrote for the San Antonio
Express News and taught journalism at Emerson College and Harvard University. Speaking with
The Boston Globe back in 1993, she explained her mission as a journalist was simple:
"I want to use my celebrity to help people, to help bring about something that needs to be done."
Uma Pemmaraju's daughter, Kirina Alana Devi, posted a touching tribute to her mother's life
on August 10th on her Instagram. Along with a group of photos of Pemmaraju,
Devi included a video message of her mother wishing her daughter a safe trip:
"I'll miss you, know that I love you always and you're always in my heart."
In the caption of her Instagram post, Devi wrote this tribute to her mother:
"Words cannot express how deeply devastated I am to have lost you. Your bravery, kindness,
and all of the laughter & light you filled every moment with has inspired me in
every sense — You taught me everything I know, and have always been my rock."
In fact, Devi has followed her mother's ambitious footsteps in the entertainment industry, and it
seems that Pemmaraju has always supported her daughter's dreams. According to Devi's profile,
she is an actor who has dabbled in modeling and she's represented by BAM Management. When Devi
graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2021, Pemmaraju congratulated her daughter
on her Instagram. After posting a baby photo of Devi, Pemmaraju proudly wrote in the caption:
"A beautiful star from birth,
to growing up as an amazing and talented life force that defines you today — your hard work,
passion and dedication to your craft will lead you to your big dreams ahead."