Rochelle Ritchie

Rochelle Ritchie is an opinion writer, public speaker, crisis communications consultant, and highly sought-after television political commentator frequently featured on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, and i24 News. Prior to her national television commentary debut, Rochelle served as a Congressional Press Secretary for the House of Representatives Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). While working on Capitol Hill, she built relationships with national media outlets and solidified interviews for the co-chairs of the DPCC - Rep. David Cicilline, Rep. Cheri Bustos, and the chairman of the Democratic Caucus, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Rochelle's media experience as a respected journalist and credible spokesperson made her a trusted press consultant who was requested by Speaker Nancy Pelosi's press office to provide media training to press secretaries and communications directors in the House. Rochelle is not a stranger to the television world. For more than a decade, she held reporter positions in Baltimore (WJZ-TV), West Palm Beach, Fla. (WPTV), Spokane, Wash., (KREM-TV), and Lawton, Okla. (KSWO-TV). She began her career as a video editor at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Ky. Rochelle's familiarity with being on camera and in front of an audience makes her a natural and confident public speaker who enjoys a real and raw dialogue. Her most memorable interview was a one-on-one exclusive with former First Lady Michelle Obama during the 2008 campaign. A nonconformist, Rochelle charts her own course and has proved throughout her life that she is unafraid to challenge the status quo when her own beliefs and morals are compromised. In 2009, while reporting in South Florida, Rochelle made national headlines after deciding to remove her hair extensions and have her relaxed hair cut on the air as part of a story she wrote, shot, and edited that focused on the health challenges and historically bigoted judgment black women face by not conforming to European standards of beauty. Rochelle's honest and in-depth reporting on an issue that inflicts insecurity on so many black girls and women led to dozens of features in highly recognizable publications, such as Essence magazine and USA Today, as well as an interview on the Tom Joyner Morning Show with host Jacque Reid. At the time, Rochelle was one of only three black women wearing their naturally coiled hair on television news. In 2012, she became the first black reporter since Oprah Winfrey to wear her natural hair on the air at WJZ-TV. The story has more than six million views on Facebook and continues to inspire young reporters to be their authentic selves. Following her tenure as a television reporter, Rochelle served as the Director of Communications for State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, Esq., at the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City, during the highly profiled Freddie Gray police brutality case, which garnered global attention; she was the direct media liaison, fielding hundreds of reporter inquiries. An advocate at heart, her focus on social justice issues and desire to be a sensible voice intensified as a result of her time at the state's attorney's office. Her editorials often focus on how to improve marginalized communities. Rochelle holds a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism from Western Kentucky University and earned her Master of Arts in communications from Johns Hopkins University. She was born in Chicago, IL, and lives in New York City.