Sharyl Attkisson (born January 26, 1961 ^[58]) is an American investigative journalist, author, host and managing editor of the weekly Sunday news program Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson , which airs on television stations operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. ^[59] Her books Stonewalled and The Smear became New York Times bestsellers.

Attkisson was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. ^[6] Her stepfather is an orthopedic surgeon, and her brother is an emergency room physician. Attkisson graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in broadcast journalism in 1982. ^[8]

Attkisson began her journalism career in 1980 as a reporter at WRUF, the campus radio station at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She also worked in college as a reporter at WUFT-TV, the PBS station in Gainesville, Florida. She later worked as an anchor and reporter at WTVX-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Pierce/West Palm Beach, Florida from 1982–1985; WBNS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio from 1985–86, and WTVT, the CBS affiliate in Tampa, Florida from 1986–1990.

In her early professional career, Attkisson received several awards for her reporting and producing, including a New York Black Journalists Association public service award, a Mature Media National Award, a Florida Emmy Award, a Sigma Delta Chi Award and a Florida Communicator's Award.

From 1990–1993, Attkisson was a primary anchor and reporter for CNN. ^[12] Attkisson left CNN in 1993, ^[13] moving to CBS, where she anchored the television news broadcast CBS News Up to the Minute before becoming an investigative correspondent based in Washington, D.C.

She served on the University of Florida's Journalism College Advisory Board (1993–1997) and was its chair in 1996. The University gave her an Outstanding Achievement Award in 1997. From 1997 to 2003, Attkisson simultaneously hosted CBS News Up to the Minute and the PBS health-news magazine HealthWeek.

In 1999, Attkisson was one of a few journalists to fly on a B-52 combat mission over Kosovo.

In 2000, Attkisson received an Investigative Reporters and Editors (I.R.E.) Finalist award for *Dangerous Drugs,*reporting on safety issues with prescription medicine and vaccines. In 2001, Attkisson received an Investigative Emmy Award nomination for Firestone Tire Fiasco from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. ^[18] She also received the Civil Justice Foundation Special Commendation for the Firestone Tire coverage.

In 2002, she co-authored a college textbook, Writing Right for Broadcast and Internet News. Later that same year she won an Emmy Award for her investigation into fraud inside the American Red Cross.

In 2003, Attkisson received an Emmy Award Nomination for Investigating Dangers of certain prescription drugs and vaccines; and conflicts of interest in medical industry.

Attkisson was part of the CBS News team that received RTNDA-Edward R. Murrow Awards in 2005 for Overall Excellence.

In 2006, Attkisson served as Capitol Hill correspondent for CBS, ^[21] as one of a small number of female anchors covering the 2006 midterms. Attkisson was part of the CBS News team that received RTNDA-Edward R. Murrow Awards in 2008 for Overall Excellence.

In 2008, Attkisson was again part of the CBS News team that received RTNDA-Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence.

She also received Finalist recognition from the Gerald Loeb Business Awards for “Earmarks” Also in 2008, Attkisson’s reporting on the link between vaccines and autism was referenced as a source by neurologist Dr. Jon Poling in the scientific journal: The New England Journal of Medicine.^[63]

In 2009, Attkisson won an Investigative Emmy Award for Business and Financial Reporting for her exclusive investigation into the Bush Administration "bait and switch" on Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the bank bailout. ^[25]

Attkisson returned to the University of Florida as a keynote speaker at the College of Journalism and Communications in 2010.

^[8] That same year, she received an Emmy Award nomination for her investigations into members of Congress, and she also received a 2010 Emmy Award nomination for her investigation into waste of tax dollars. ^[26] Also in 2010, Attkisson received Finalist recognition from the Gerald Loeb Business Awards for "Follow the Money: Bailout Investigation." In 2011, Attkisson was nominated for an Emmy Award for her Follow the Money investigations into Congressional travel to the Copenhagen climate summit, and problems with aid to Haiti earthquake victims. ^[28]

In June 2012, Attkisson's investigative reporting for the Gunwalker: Fast and Furious story also won the CBS Evening News the Radio and Television News Directors Association's National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Video Investigative Reporting. ^[31] In July 2012, Attkisson's Gunwalker: Fast and Furious reporting also received an investigative Emmy Award. ^[36]

In 2013, Attkisson received three Emmy Award nominations: "Green Energy Going Red," "Investigating Congress," and "Benghazi: Dying for Security."

She received the investigative Emmy Award for "Investigating Congress," which included an undercover investigation into Republican fundraising.

Attkisson also received a Daytime Emmy Award as part of CBS Sunday Morning team Outstanding Morning Program for "Washington Lobbying: K-Street Behind Closed Doors.”

Attkisson received Finalist recognition from the Gerald Loeb Business Awards for "The Business of Congress."

In May 2013, CBS revealed that Attkisson's computers had been compromised by remote intrusions for more than two years.

^[39] CBS News stated that it had investigated her work computer and found evidence of multiple unauthorized accesses by a third party in late 2012. ^[40] The U.S. Department of Justice issued a qualified denial of involvement. In her 2014 book, she reported that forensic examinations revealed remote intruders had invaded her work and personal computers; secretly monitored her work through spyware proprietary to a U.S. ingelligence agency, accessed the CBS News system, installed keystroke logging spyware on her CBS work computer, used Skype to exfiltrate files and listen in on converstations, and accessed her passwords, emails and photographs. ^[42]

On March 10, 2014, Attkisson resigned from CBS News in what she stated was an "amicable" parting.

Later that year, her book Stonewalled: One Reporter's Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington (Harpers) was published. The book was a New York Times bestseller.

In 2014, Attkisson received the Pillar Human Rights Journalism Award for “Fearless Reporting in the Face of Government Retaliation.”

In 2015, she received the Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Reporting.

In 2015, Attkisson became host of the Sunday television news program: Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.

In 2016, Attkisson received Finalist recognition from the Gerald Loeb Business Awards for "Taxpayer Beware" and the Barbara Olson Award for Excellence and Independence in Journalism.

Attkisson's bookThe Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote was published by HarperCollins in summer 2017. It also became a New York Times bestseller. ^[51] She is working on a third book tentatively titled: "The Narrative."

Attkisson has given two TedX talks: "Astroturf and Media Manipulation" and "Is Fake News Real?"

Attkisson also publishes on her website SharylAttkisson.com, contributes to The Hill and Real Clear Politics; and records regular podcasts.

Attkisson has reached fifth-degree black belt Master's level in taekwondo. ^[6] She is married and has a daughter. ^[55]