Jon Fortt
{{short description|American journalist}}
{{similar names|John Fort (disambiguation){{!}}John Fort}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jon Fortt
| image = Jon Fortt, journalist.jpg
| alt = Jon Fortt at Mobile World Congress, 2017
| caption = Fortt in 2017
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|12|12}}
| birth_place = Long Island, New York, U.S.
| occupation = Journalist
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| education = DePauw University (BA)
| alma_mater =
| employer = CNBC
| television =
}}
Jon Fortt (born December 12, 1976) is an American journalist{{Cite web|title=Jon Fortt {{!}} Sam Whitmore's Media Survey|url=https://www.mediasurvey.com/cms/taxonomy/term/766|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.mediasurvey.com|archive-date=2020-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722084953/https://www.mediasurvey.com/cms/taxonomy/term/766|url-status=dead}} and the co-anchor of CNBC's{{Cite web|title=Jon Fortt {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/person/?johfortt|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.c-span.org}}
Closing Bell Overtime{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2023-01-26 |title=Brian Sullivan Will Anchor CNBC's New 7PM Show, 'Last Call' |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/brian-sullivan-cnbc-last-call-1235503613/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} broadcast. He previously co-anchored TechCheck.{{Cite web|date=2021-04-09|title=TechCheck|url=https://www.cnbc.com/techcheck/|access-date=2021-09-04|website=CNBC|language=en}} He is the creator and host of Fortt Knox,{{Cite web|date=2018-01-16|title=Fortt Knox|url=https://www.cnbc.com/fortt-knox/|access-date=2020-07-27|website=CNBC|language=en}} a technology, leadership and innovation brand that has existed as a podcast {{Cite web|title=Fortt Knox|url=https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=125061|access-date=2020-07-27|website=www.stitcher.com|language=en}} and streaming program{{Cite web|title=Fortt Knox - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Tffzr12XPmdEevbOg3I9g|access-date=2020-07-27|website=www.youtube.com}} since 2016 and now has its primary home on Linkedin.{{Cite web|title=A New Home and Format for Fortt Knox, on LinkedIn Live|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-home-format-fortt-knox-linkedin-live-jon-fortt|access-date=2020-07-27|website=www.linkedin.com|language=en}}
On Fortt Knox{{Cite web|title=CNBC TV Commercial, 'Fortt Knox Podcast'|url=http://www.ispot.tv/ad/wc_D/cnbc-tt-knox-podcast|access-date=2020-07-27|website=iSpot.tv|language=en}} he has interviewed entrepreneurs, CEOs and celebrities including Michael Dell, Adena Friedman, Reid Hoffman, Daymond John, Satya Nadella, Katrina Lake, Michael Phelps, Q-Tip and Andy Jassy. In September 2021, he crafted a weekly segment on CNBC's Power Lunch program called "Working Lunch," which excerpts Fortt Knox interviews to introduce viewers to the personalities and strategies of founders and CEOs.{{Cite web|title=Working Lunch, on CNBC's Power Lunch - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_kklr-M0JHt4ioxYoP4pTowt3Pw0kbcb|access-date=2021-10-24|website=www.youtube.com}} In August 2020, he crafted a weekly segment on CNBC's Squawk Box program called "On the Other Hand," in which he argues two sides of one business or technology issue.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/jonfortt/status/1430868006712844289|access-date=2021-09-04|website=Twitter|language=en}} Earlier in 2020, he created The Black Experience in America: The Course, at [https://www.forttmedia.com/ forttmedia.com].{{Cite web|title=The Black Experience in America – The Course By Jon Fortt|url=https://www.forttmedia.com/|access-date=2021-04-05|website=www.forttmedia.com}} In November 2024, [http://theroot.com/list/the-root-100-2024/jon-fortt-97 he was included on The Root 100], the online publication's list of the 100 most influential Black Americans.{{Cite web |title=The Root 100 - 2024 |url=https://www.theroot.com/list/the-root-100-2024 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The Root |language=en}}
Early life and education
Fortt was born on Long Island, New York. His family later moved to Washington, D.C., where he attended Montgomery Blair High School and was president of the Student Government Association in the 1993–94 school year and organized protests to push Montgomery County to build a new school in its current location, then known as the Kay tract.{{Cite news|last=Buckley|first=Stephen|date=1994-05-12|title=Blair High Decision Leaves Bitter Feelings|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/05/12/blair-high-decision-leaves-bitter-feelings/fba4390b-1226-4f5f-9fd3-74da70544d83/|access-date=2020-09-07|issn=0190-8286}} In his senior year, he won the Knight-Ridder Minority Journalism Scholarship.{{Cite web|title=A Good Fit|url=https://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/31698/|access-date=2020-07-27|website=DePauw University|language=en}} He attended DePauw University, where he was part of the Media Fellows honors program. There he worked at The DePauw student newspaper and became editor.{{Cite web|date=2014-11-17|title=When they were young: DePauw University alum profile|url=https://thedepauw.com/when-they-were-young-depauw-university-alum-profile/|access-date=2020-09-06|website=The DePauw|language=en-US}} He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing.{{Cite web|title=CNBC's Jon Fortt '98 to Receive DePauw's Young Alumni Award|url=https://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/30925/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=DePauw University|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2011-07-11|title=Jon Fortt|url=https://www.cnbc.com/jon-fortt/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=CNBC|language=en}} On May 22, 2022, he [https://news.forttknox.com/p/love-truth-and-impact-my-address delivered the commencement address at DePauw], a message called "Love, Truth and Impact."{{Citation |title=Jon Fortt '98 DePauw University 183rd Commencement Address - Love, Truth, and Impact | date=27 May 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsqlOqrtpCE |language=en |access-date=2022-05-29}} He joined DePauw's board of trustees in October 2022.{{Cite web |title=Board of Trustees |url=https://www.depauw.edu/about/president/leadership/board-of-trustees/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=DePauw University |language=en}}
Career
Fortt began his post-college career at the Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was assigned the technology beat in 1999 after another reporter suddenly quit. Later that year he moved to California to join the San Jose Mercury News in San Jose, California.{{Cite web|title=Tech Reality Check With Jon Fortt|url=http://www.athleisuremag.com/the-latest/2018/3/13/tech-reality-check-with-jon-fortt|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Athleisure Mag |date=13 March 2018 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Jon Fortt, Journalist|url=https://www.blackfacts.com/fact/jon-fortt-journalist|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Blackfacts.com|language=en-US}} In 2006 he went to Business 2.0 magazine as a senior editor in charge of the "What Works" section.{{Cite web|date=2010-07-08|title=Fortt to join CNBC from Fortune|url=https://talkingbiznews.com/they-talk-biz-news/fortt-joins-cnbc-from-fortune/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Talking Biz News|language=en-US}}
In 2007, he joined Fortune magazine as a senior writer covering large companies including Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft.{{Cite web|title=About Jon Fortt|url=https://fortune.com/2009/08/06/about-jon-fortt/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Fortune|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Chief information officers get sexy - Feb. 12, 2009|url=https://money.cnn.com/2009/02/11/technology/cios.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009021204|access-date=2020-07-21|website=money.cnn.com}} Fortt began working for CNBC in 2010 as a Silicon Valley–based technology correspondent.{{Cite web|title=Speaker details|url=http://www.citeconference.com/ereg/popups/speakerdetails.php?eventid=29527&language=eng&speakerid=40348&|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.citeconference.com}}{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=David|date=July 8, 2010|title=CNBC Adds Jon Fortt as Tech Correspondent|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/cnbc-adds-jon-fortt-as-tech-correspondent/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.adweek.com|language=en-US}}
In 2013, he relocated to CNBC headquarters. {{Cite web|title=@Work Livestream Series|url=https://www.cnbcevents.com/work-livestream/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=CNBC Events|language=en-US}} He joined the board of the National Summer Learning Association, a non-profit, in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Our Team {{!}} National Summer Learning Association |url=https://www.summerlearning.org/team/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Summer Learning |language=en}}
References
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Category:African-American journalists
Category:American television news anchors
Category:21st-century American journalists
Category:DePauw University alumni