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Monday, August 13, 2007

Mystery Journalist & A Birthday

Did you see Carol Costello guest anchoring CNN's The Situation Room last week? She's been with CNN since October, 2001 and has previously anchored CNN Daybreak. Most recently, she's been a regular contributor to The Situation Room providing News Updates and reports on a variety of topics. Not everyone is cut out to step in to fill Wolf Blitzer's shoes, but she did a great job.

The Akron Beacon Journal published an interview with Costello in February, 2006. I particularly found the CNN anchor word association at the end of the interview interesting. Below are a few excerpts from the article:

She was born in Canton, grew up in Minerva, graduated from Kent State University and now is a familiar face on CNN.

Q: Was being on television something you wanted to do since you were a little kid?

A: In my diary, a 12-year-old Carol Costello wrote: "I want to be a news reporter when I grow up."

Q: Were you involved in journalism in school?

A: I was the anchor of TV2 at Kent State University. I was also the news director.

Q: What has been the most difficult assignment you've had in journalism?

A: Anchoring our CNN coverage of the Iraq war.

Q: How did you land at CNN?

A: I am good at covering breaking news. So I sent a tape. Two weeks later, I had a job.

Q: Here are some CNN names. Can you give us a word to describe each of them? Larry King?

A: Legendary.

Q: Soledad O'Brien?

A: Savvy.

Q: Anderson Cooper?

A: Unique.

Q: Wolf Blitzer

A: Kind.

Q: Ted Turner?

A: Fascinating.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I am training for a marathon. I mentor six college kids. And I try to be there for my husband.

Also from 2006, the Collaborative Online Producing Class at Kent State completed a project where they talked to alumni members in the media. They asked the alumni to share their experiences covering tragedies. Below is an excerpt from the published article:

Carol Costello, Kent State alum and anchor and reporter for CNN, spent ten years as a street reporter.

The stresses of constant deadlines and covering traumatic events caused her to take a break from journalism. She even developed an ulcer.

Costello returned to reporting after realizing that although her job is stressful, it is also very rewarding.

She said the hardest thing she has had to cover was the war in Iraq.

"You had to remove yourself and become dispassionate, and be very accurate," she said.

Costello said working in the journalism field has made her rather cynical.

"Nothing is simple to contemplate any longer. I also have this need to know more."

Costello said she has learned to deal with the stresses of the job. She said she is usually prepared for what she is covering and she rarely gets nervous.

Costello said she thinks a class that would teach students about the stresses of the job would be a good idea.

"It's not a glamorous field, in the end, you are on your own in a breaking news situation. Things happen too fast for a producer to hold your hand."

Costello worked as an anchor and news director at TV2 while at Kent State. She also worked for campus radio. She said working for student media helped her prepare for the real world.

In 2003, Costello spoke at the Thiel College commencement ceremony. Below is an excerpt from the release published by the college:

GREENVILLE, PA - CNN anchor Carol Costello urged Thiel College graduates to "look out the window" during the college's 129th spring commencement Saturday at the William A. Passavant Memorial Center.

"Taken at face value the phrase 'Look out the Window' means you're missing the obvious. But, make the window wider, more inclusive, then you've discovered the secret," Costello told the 140 graduating seniors.

The anchor for CNN's morning news program CNN Daybreak also reminded the graduates to "not accept things at face value."

"A true view is almost never clear - because each of us sees the world in different ways. If we do not attempt and succeed at envisioning the world as others do, we lose," Costello said.


Thanks to Blade for suggesting that we do a post on Carol Costello!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Mystery Journalist



This week's Mystery Journalist was Carol Costello

I'll post another Mystery Journalist clue in Friday's post.










/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/


And finally tonight, we wanted to wish Veronica De La Cruz a Happy Birthday.

Below is a clip of a report she recently filed on the websites that people visit.









5 comments:

Evelyn said...

That was a fantastic post BA!! I don't know how long you had to look to dig all that up about Carol Costello but you did a magnificent job :)

She's such a great journalist and an enormous asset to TSA and CNN. She sounds very kind and wise, those 6 college kids she mentors are very lucky!

Thanks for all the great info on Carol! It's nice to know a little about the faces that bring us our news :)

Phebe said...

How adorable was the lady at the end of the video crushing on Tony Harris? That made my day.
I caught a little of Carol on TSR and thought she did a really good job. Watch out Wolf the ladies may be a after you job.
Great post as always BA.

Sapphire said...

Great find on Carol Costello....interesting interview and I love the word association game.

I got the mystery journalist right YEA!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERONICA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you have a fantastic day

Anonymous said...

Has anyone noticed that Carol has been reporting out of Washington, instead of NY. Does anyone know what is up with that? I like it, just wondered if she has moved to DC

Blade said...

Hi BA:

I have been so busy traveling and just had a few minutes to read your fine post on Carol.

Nice job on that one! She seems like a kind human being. I really think she should be permanent co-anchor to Wolf. I think that would be nice.

Have a good day, BA!