Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith co-anchors FOX 13 News weeknights at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. alongside Hana Kim. He also co-anchors FOX 13 News at 9 p.m. weeknights on FOX 13+ with Sabirah Rayford, and is a reporter on the FOX 13 Seattle Investigates team. Matthew is a veteran anchor and reporter who joined FOX 13 Seattle in late 2021.
Born in Michigan, Matt caught the journalism bug at a young age – he was interning at a TV station by 17-years-old and filed his first on-air report at the age of 18.
He proceeded to move around the country with stops in West Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Michigan before finding his way to Seattle with his wife.
While Matt grew up in Michigan, he likes to call Washington his "chosen" home. Matt got married to his wife Jen in 2020 in Anacortes. Since then the family has grown with the addition of a foster son. The three live with two cats, Moo and Paws, who are always visible on Matt’s social media.
If he is not at work, you can find Matt with his family exploring Washington. Matt and his wife have fallen in love with the Cascades – they enjoy hiking and kayaking, while their son seems to want to be outdoors 24/7.
Matt also loves books, movies and craft beer – though, he gives many of his hobbies up while training for a marathon. He has run several to date and is always trying to improve his time. Matt has also competed in a number of eating competitions – once dubbed the burrito king of West Virginia; he insists that he has hung up his competitive eating bib.
At work, Matt has earned numerous awards for his work on-camera and behind it. He was awarded back-to-back Emmys as Michigan’s top reporter, and a third for his work on the anchor desk as the first COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the state of Washington.
A self-professed nerd, Matt loves talking about climate and the environment. In 2021, he was named a Metcalf Fellow through the University of Rhode Island. His work has focused on the Flint water crisis, the increase in PFAS/PFOA contaminations, air quality concerns in Washington and salmon recovery.
Matt has appeared on national news programs to report on hurricanes and wildfires but says his favorite stories are the ones he finds in his own community.
Feel free to reach out to Matt via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter -- or the grocery store, Matt is always looking to connect with viewers!
The latest from Matthew Smith
Nooksack tribe criticized over eviction of disenrolled WA families
A WA family is running out of options as the Nooksack Tribal Council looks to move on from a disenrollment saga that has drawn rebuke from the United Nations.
Third juvenile detention employee arrested on sexual misconduct charges this year
A former guard at a youth detention facility in Lewis County is facing multiple charges for custodial sexual misconduct, tied to sexual relations with a 23-year-old inmate while working at Green Hill.
DCYF head announces he will not seek reappointment
Months after calls for his resignation began, the head of Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families announced that he plans to step down when the next governor takes office.
WA businesses turn to pine cone collectors to regrow burned forests
Locals are being tapped to collect pine cones in an effort to store seeds to re-grow forests before wildfires destroy natural seed banks in the Pacific Northwest.
Sex toy prank, abuse of power lands Mercer Island, WA officer in hot water
The Mercer Island officer is currently under investigation.
Drone video shows newest member of endangered Southern Resident orca
The newest member of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales was captured in new drone footage collected through a joint research project involving the SeaDoc Society, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and NOAA Fisheries.
Rescued from cockfighting rings, Washington animal rescue on blitz to rehome roosters
Heartwood Haven has turned negative news coverage into a positive change for how the state handles cockfighting ring busts, rescuing roosters that would normally be euthanized.
WA's DCYF in early talks to expand capacity to hold young adults in detention
The agency has faced a number of lawsuits in recent months tied to attempts to move young inmates to adult prisons ahead of schedule.
WA state agency under fire over juvenile justice crisis
The head of Washington's juvenile detention agency is facing growing calls to resign, including from state legislators, union staff, advisory boards and now, the families of residents inside the facility.
WA union leaders call on Gov. Inslee to fire embattled DCYF leader
Governor Inslee is facing a growing call for him to fire Secretary Ross Hunter, his handpicked leader of Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families.