About Me

Rochelle Ritchie is an award-winning journalist, former television host, and communications strategist whose powerful storytelling has shaped headlines and elevated national conversations. With more than a decade of on-air reporting experience, Rochelle has appeared as a political analyst and commentator on major outlets including Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, Fox Business, i24 News, NewsNation, Revolt TV, and The Breakfast Club.

Her reporting career spanned leading newsrooms across the country, including WJZ-TV (Baltimore), WPTV (West Palm Beach), KREM 2 News (Spokane), and KSWO-TV (Oklahoma). Among her most notable work was an exclusive interview with First Lady Michelle Obama during the historic 2008 campaign. Rochelle has also interviewed prominent public figures and entertainers including actors Idris Elba, Regina King, J. Alphonse Nicholson, musician T.I., and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens—demonstrating her ability to engage a broad range of voices with depth and nuance.

In 2009, she made national headlines for cutting off her hair on-air to spotlight the racial and professional bias Black women face over natural hair. That bold act led to coverage in Essence, USA Today, and inspired authenticity and self-acceptance in newsrooms across America.

Rochelle has reported from the frontlines of crime and crisis, including a gripping moment in Baltimore when a suspect in the shooting of a police officer contacted her directly to arrange his surrender—underscoring her reputation as a trusted, fair reporter. She and her photographer captured the exclusive interview moments before his arrest.

Transitioning from the newsroom to public affairs, Rochelle served as Director of Communications for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, managing national media during the high-profile Freddie Gray case. She also worked on Capitol Hill as a Press Secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives, where she provided strategic counsel and media training to Members of Congress and led bipartisan outreach following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise.

Rochelle’s communications expertise extends to higher education and the C-suite. At Barnard College, she led crisis communications, managed messaging following the tragic death of Tess Majors, and crafted op-eds featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NY Daily News. Most recently, she served as Executive Communications Manager for The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), overseeing strategic messaging for a membership of over 800 Black executives across Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies. Her content has driven record-breaking engagement—including a highlight video that earned 54,000+ views, the highest-performing content in the organization’s history.

Born on the South Side of Chicago and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Rochelle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Western Kentucky University, where she studied abroad across Eastern Europe and Russia. She earned her Master of Arts in Communications from Johns Hopkins University.