Women Journalists at Ground Zero: Covering Crisis / Edition 1

by Judith Sylvester, Suzanne Huffman

Overview

Women Journalists at Ground Zero tells the rich and moving stories of 24 journalists who reported from New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Pittsburgh area during and following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Recounting their professional and personal experiences in reporting a disaster of great magnitude, these television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and photojournalists—from local reporters to journalists and producers at major media organizations like CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, the New York Times, and the Associated Press—show us how the news "happened" and what it takes to cover crisis.

Featured journalists include:

Rehema Ellis, NBC, New York City
Cynthia McFadden, ABC, New York City
Ann Compton, ABC, White House Press Corps
Judy Woodruff, CNN, Washington, D.C.
Rose Arce, CNN, New York City
Susan Sachs, New York Times, New York City
Suzanne Plunkett, Associated Press, New York City
Mika Brzezinski, CBS, New York City
Emily Longnecker, WTAJ-TV, Altoona, Pennsylvania
Kerry Nolan, WNYC Radio, New York City
Charlotte Hall, Newsday, Long Island, New York
Susan Harrigan, Newsday, New York City
Lesli Foster, WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, New York City
Miriam Falco, CNN, New York City
Gabrielle DeRose, KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Beth Fertig, WNYC Radio, New York City
Amy Eddings, WNYC Radio, New York City
Amy Sancetta, Associated Press, New York City
Gulnara Samoilova, Associated Press, New York City
Beth A. Keiser, Associated Press, New York City
Madge Stager, Associated Press, New York City
Elizabeth McNeil, People magazine, New York City
Fannie Weinstein, People magazine, New York City

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742519442
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/06/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.86(h) x 0.57(d)

About the Author

Judith Sylvester is Huie-Dellmon professor for the Media Leaders Forum at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University.
Suzanne Huffman is associate professor of journalism at Texas Christian University. She is a former television newsreporter, anchor, and producer.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Part 2 Part I: The Attacks Chapter 3 The Time Line of Events on September 11 Part 4 Part II: The Women Journalists at Ground Zero Chapter 5 Kerry Nolan, WNYC Radio, New York City Chapter 6 Beth Fertig, WNYC Radio, New York City Chapter 7 Amy Eddings, WNYC Radio, New York City Chapter 8 Rehema Ellis, NBC News, New York City Chapter 9 Rose Arce, CNN, New York City Chapter 10 Judy Woodruff, CNN, Washington, D.C. Chapter 11 Susan Sachs,New York Times, New York City Chapter 12 Suzanne Plunkett, Associated Press, New York City Chapter 13 Amy Sancetta, Associated Press, New York City Chapter 14 Gulnara Samoilova, Associated Press, New York City Chapter 15 Beth A. Keiser, Associated Press, New York City Chapter 16 Madge Stager, Associated Press, New York City Chapter 17 Mika Brzezinski, CBS News, New York City Chapter 18 Susan Harrigan,Newsday, New York City Chapter 19 Charlotte Hall,Newsday, Long Island, New York Chapter 20 Cynthia McFadden, ABC News, New York City Chapter 21 Ann Compton, ABC News, White House Press Corps, Sarasota, Florida Chapter 22 Lesli Foster, WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C. Chapter 23 Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atalanta, Georgia Chapter 24 Miriam Falco, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia Chapter 25 Gabrielle DeRose, KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Chapter 26 Emily Longnecker, WTAJ-TV, Altoona, Pennsylvania Chapter 27 Elizabeth McNeil,People Magazine, New York City Chapter 28 Fannie Weinstein,People Magazine, New York City Part 29 Part III: Conclusions Chapter 30 Coming to Conclusions Chapter 31 Appendix A: Biographies Chapter 32 Appendix B: Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Editorial Reviews

Judith Sylvester and Suzanne Huffman have performed an invaluable service by documenting the gripping stories of women journalists who covered the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Women Journalists at Ground Zero is fascinating reading, as well as an important historical record and an excellent teaching tool.

Philip Seib

On the surface, these stories tell of the experiences of women journalists in covering the events of September 11; between the lines, they tell of the progress women have made in American newsrooms. As the book makes clear, there was no question that women would cover the attacks and their aftermath, and they did it well, reporting and shooting pictures on the scene and making decisions about what to print and what to air. What is striking is how closely these women's stories resemble those of other journalists—women and men—who reported on the same events. They were dedicated to getting the facts, despite the risks. They were affected by what they saw, but mostly after the fact. Most worked in newsrooms that offered counseling and support, but few took advantage of it. Their stories are personal but not unusual, and that may be what is most surprising about this timely book.

Deborah Potter

Rich and moving stories.

Educational Book Review

The book is a riveting read and reaffirms the need for the reporter as eye-witness. The individual accounts are engrossing and each of the women interviewed presents vividly, but without hyperbole, the enormity of what confronted them. Sylvester and Huffman quite rightly let the stories speak for themselves and should be congratulated on pulling together such compelling accounts.

Journalism Studies

Women reporters are no longer confined to covering just the women's angle. They're on the front lines of every big story now. In this compelling book, Judith Sylvester and Suzanne Huffman tell us how a group of courageous women risked their own lives to report the news of what happened on 9/11. It's a story that should make the rest of us proud to be Americans, and Sylvester and Huffman have told it well.

Bob Schieffer

Women Journalists at Ground Zero demonstrates that, no matter the gender, all top reporters act on the same deep-seated instincts to find the story, corroborate the story, and share it with the public.

Jan Schaffer

Women Journalists at Ground Zero tells the moving stories of more than 20 women journalists who reported from New York City, Washington, and the Pittsburgh area during and following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Media Report To Women