Susan Roesgen
Susan Roesgen | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | News Correspondent |
| Notable credit(s) | CNN general assignment correspondent (2005–present) National Geographic Today Co-host (2000–2003) |
| Website | http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/roesgen.susan.html |
Susan Roesgen is an Emmy award winning American reporter based in Chicago. Roesgen has worked in radio and television broadcasting for more than two decades, including prime time news anchor positions at several TV stations. She has worked as a general assignment correspondent for CNN since 2005.
Early life and career
Susan Roesgen is the daughter of William Roesgen, former publisher of several newspapers and editor of the Billings Gazette, and sister to Andy Roesgen, a freelance television reporter. Roesgen graduated magna cum laude from Montana State University in 1983, majoring in English Literature. Roesgen says she "never planned to be in journalism. I thought I'd be some kind of writer, but not in the media." She started as a copyeditor for the MSU Exponent newspaper, and her first television job was writing commercials. She eventually joined the news department, and worked her way up the anchor ladder, eventually anchoring the news at WABC-TV in New York City.
Roesgen's reporting has taken her from an Army barracks in Haiti, to the Sea of Galilee, and to the pyramids of Egypt. She received a regional Emmy award, along with two colleagues at WDSU-TV, for the documentary A Grave Injustice,[1] on the theft of artifacts from New Orleans historic cemeteries, and a Louisiana Associated Press Award for her reporting in Israel.[2][3][4]
Roesgen has worked as an anchor for the following stations:
- WABC-TV Channel 7 (New York)
- KFMB-TV Channel 8 (San Diego)
- WITN-TV Channel 7 (Washington, NC)
- KATV-TV Channel 7 (Little Rock)
- WDSU-TV Channel 6 (New Orleans)
- WGNO-TV Channel 26 (New Orleans)
She has also worked as a reporter for National Public Radio, and as an announcer for WWNO-FM radio in New Orleans.[5]
National Geographic
She joined the National Geographic Channel in 2000, and co-hosted an international travel show, National Geographic Today. [6]
CNN
Roesgen was hired by CNN as a news correspondent for their Gulf Coast division in 2005. She moved to CNN's Chicago bureau in September, 2007. In July, 2009, CNN indicated it would not be renewing Roesgen's contract.[7]
Hurricane Katrina
A New Orleans-based journalist during Hurricane Katrina, she was the first reporter hired by CNN for the CNN Gulf Coast bureau in 2005.
Jena Six
Roesgen became the first national TV reporter to cover the Jena Six events in Louisiana.[8]
2009 Chicago Tea Party
On April 15, 2009, Roesgen interviewed a number of people at a 2009 Tea Party protest in Chicago, including one protester calling US President Barack Obama a fascist and carrying sign depicting him as Adolf Hitler, Roesgen stated that she found the description of Obama as a fascist offensive. This was in contrast to a 2006 report where she highlighted a protester wearing a Bush mask with a Hitler mustache and devil horns and described him as "a Bush look-alike."[9][10][11] [12]and another protester that praised Abraham Lincoln.[13] [14] When the latter was asked, "Sir, what does this have to do with your taxes? Do you realize that you're eligible for a $400 credit?"[13], the man responded that "Lincoln believed that people had the right to share in the fruits of their own labor and that government should not take it. And we have clearly gotten to that point."[15] [16] Roesgen, criticized for using Obama talking points[17] in the piece to debate protesters, then asked, "Right, but did you know that the state of Lincoln gets $50 billion out of this stimulus? That's $50 billion for this state, sir."[13] Speaking over the noisy crowd, she concluded the interview with, "I think you get the general tenor of this. It's anti-government, anti-CNN, since this is highly promoted by the right-wing conservative network, Fox. And since I can't really hear much more, and since I think this is not really family viewing, I'll toss it back to you, Kyra."[18][19][20]
The interview drew criticism as confrontational from some in the media, including Mona Charen of the National Review.[21] Others, like George Washington University professor of media, Frank Sesno defended the principal that reporters should challenge people and draw them out but criticized Roesgen for debating a protester and said that he thought she "may have stepped over the line".[22] A CNN spokesperson said, "She was doing her job, and called it like she saw it." Roesgen has not commented publicly on the situation.[23][24] Ex-CNN star and media trainer Eileen O'Connor said of Roesgen. "She crossed a line. She crossed a journalistic line." [25] The Boston Globe reported criticism of her as hostile and unprofessional. [26] The New York Times remarking on the politicization of the 'News' stated that, "she could not have been more contemptuous of the people she was interviewing".[27]
Drew Peterson arrest
Roesgen has been on location following the Drew Peterson case in February, 2009, during the investigations, and in May, during his arrest and initial court appearances.[28][29][30]
Michael Jackson's death
During the week following the death of Michael Jackson, Roesgen reported daily from the Jackson family home in Encino, California. On June 28, she reported on the arrival and departure of people paying their respects, and on the growing memorial shrine in front of the house. On July 1, she reported on details contained in a 2002 copy of Jackson's will, and on July 4th, she reported on the 1.2 million people requesting tickets for the memorial service.[31][32][33]
References
- ^ Suncoast Regional Emmy Year 2000 Emmy Awards
- ^ CNN Reporter Profile
- ^ University of Montana Winter, 2005 Collegian
- ^ National Geographic News July, 2001
- ^ KATV News November, 2005
- ^ National Geographic News July, 2001
- ^ http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/susan_roesgen_out_at_cnn_121788.asp?c=rss
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/roesgen.susan.html
- ^ http://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/louisianimal-roesgen-s-employment-at-cnn-keeps-media-bias-alive-1.1735425
- ^ http://www.mrc.org/realitycheck/realitycheck/2009/20090818103751.aspx
- ^ http://www.aim.org/on-target-blog/ex-cnn-star-roesgen-crossed-a-journalistic-line/
- ^ http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200904150038
- ^ a b c Roesgen, Susan (2009-04-15). "CNN Newsroom Transcript of Tea Party coverage". CNN. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ http://spectator.org/blog/2009/04/17/cnns-roesgen-then-and-now
- ^ "Mainstream Media Passes on Tea Parties" (transcript). Hannity. FOX News. April 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ http://www.nieuwso.nl/item/107953/CNN:_Bush_dubbelganger_Hitler
- ^ http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0904/19/sotu.02.html
- ^ Kurtz, Howard (2009-04-16). "Reading the Tea Leaves". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/partiedout_cnn_reporter_takes_a_break_114340.asp?c=rss
- ^ Carpenter, Amanda (2009-04-17). "Hot Button". Washington Times. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Charen, Mona (2009-04-17). "CNN vs. the Tea Parties". National Review. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "State of the Union with John King". CNN. 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "CNN Reporter at Chicago Tea Party". TV Newser. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/partiedout_cnn_reporter_takes_a_break_114340.asp?c=rss
- ^ http://www.aim.org/on-target-blog/ex-cnn-star-roesgen-crossed-a-journalistic-line/
- ^ http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/04/22/the_conservative_cries_of_fascism/
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE4DD173CF933A15757C0A96F9C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
- ^ CNN Transcripts Drew Peterson case coverage; February
- ^ CNN Transcripts Drew Peterson case coverage; May 8
- ^ Nancy Grace CNN Transcripts; Drew Peterson case; May 8
- ^ Nancy Grace CNN Transcript
- ^ LexisNexis Document CNN Transcript
- ^ CNN Newsroom CNN Transcript