Wednesday, June 21, 2006
CNN Gulf Coast Bureau Moves into Permanent Location
Source: CNN Press Release Demonstrating its continuing commitment to covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for the long term, CNN has moved its Gulf Coast bureau from makeshift quarters into a permanent location in New Orleans, it was announced today by Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S.
The grand opening of the headquarters comes in the same month that CNN received a George Foster Peabody award in recognition of its outstanding coverage of the historic storm and its aftermath. Long after the storm hit the Gulf Coast, the network remained in the region. CNN has broadcast more than 500 reports and updates, several documentaries and extensive live coverage during Mardi Gras celebrations. In addition, Anderson Cooper 360° originated more than three dozen of its shows from the region.
“No real news organization could walk away when there’s still so much important reporting to be done,” Klein said. “Our investigations keep turning up personal greed and official incompetence on a massive scale, as well as daily examples of resilience, resourcefulness and courage. We have a duty to America to cover stories like these.”
The network first opened the bureau in September in a temporary location in New Orleans. The permanent Gulf Coast bureau, located in downtown New Orleans on Poydras Street, serves as a fully functional hub for ten correspondents, photojournalists and a production crew. The site houses the network’s new Gulf satellite truck and a studio outfitted for live reports.
John Sears, a longtime local news executive who kept New Orleans station WDSU on the air in the wake of Katrina, serves as the CNN Gulf Coast bureau chief. Correspondent Susan Roesgen was recruited from her position as an anchor at WGNO-TV in New Orleans, for which she reported through the thick of Katrina. Correspondent Sean Callebs and photojournalist Ken Tillis relocated from CNN’s Denver bureau. Photojournalist Kevin Myers and broadcast engineer Michael Humphrey relocated from CNN’s Chicago bureau, and assignment editor Belinda Hernandez had been a local assignment editor at both WDSU and WWL in New Orleans.
“The CNN Gulf Coast bureau has the luxury of having journalists with extensive local knowledge and experience in New Orleans and across the coast,” Sears said. “In addition, our staff has the added advantage of hazardous duty experience, covering disasters and recovery efforts across the country. They were more than ready to cover this region when this bureau opened last year.”
The grand opening of the headquarters comes in the same month that CNN received a George Foster Peabody award in recognition of its outstanding coverage of the historic storm and its aftermath. Long after the storm hit the Gulf Coast, the network remained in the region. CNN has broadcast more than 500 reports and updates, several documentaries and extensive live coverage during Mardi Gras celebrations. In addition, Anderson Cooper 360° originated more than three dozen of its shows from the region.
“No real news organization could walk away when there’s still so much important reporting to be done,” Klein said. “Our investigations keep turning up personal greed and official incompetence on a massive scale, as well as daily examples of resilience, resourcefulness and courage. We have a duty to America to cover stories like these.”
The network first opened the bureau in September in a temporary location in New Orleans. The permanent Gulf Coast bureau, located in downtown New Orleans on Poydras Street, serves as a fully functional hub for ten correspondents, photojournalists and a production crew. The site houses the network’s new Gulf satellite truck and a studio outfitted for live reports.
John Sears, a longtime local news executive who kept New Orleans station WDSU on the air in the wake of Katrina, serves as the CNN Gulf Coast bureau chief. Correspondent Susan Roesgen was recruited from her position as an anchor at WGNO-TV in New Orleans, for which she reported through the thick of Katrina. Correspondent Sean Callebs and photojournalist Ken Tillis relocated from CNN’s Denver bureau. Photojournalist Kevin Myers and broadcast engineer Michael Humphrey relocated from CNN’s Chicago bureau, and assignment editor Belinda Hernandez had been a local assignment editor at both WDSU and WWL in New Orleans.
“The CNN Gulf Coast bureau has the luxury of having journalists with extensive local knowledge and experience in New Orleans and across the coast,” Sears said. “In addition, our staff has the added advantage of hazardous duty experience, covering disasters and recovery efforts across the country. They were more than ready to cover this region when this bureau opened last year.”
# posted by ATN @ 12:04 PM 
