Anchor Who Reports Disaster News With a Heart on His Sleeve/AndersonCooper

[cal04]

An Anchor Who Reports Disaster News With a Heart on His Sleeve

The CNN anchor Anderson Cooper strikes a pose in the September issue of the men's magazine Maxim, modeling a sharp black suit set off by his prematurely gray hair. A stylized jumble of broken television sets is piled high beside him. It is a very different Mr. Cooper who has captivated CNN viewers in the two weeks since Hurricane Katrina crashed ashore. The jumble of broken stuff is there, but it is real remnants of homes and lives washed away. Mr. Cooper's heart-on-his-sleeve demeanor has been anything but slick and packaged.


The 38-year-old anchor has dressed down officials in interviews with polite righteous indignation in behalf of hurricane victims. At least twice he choked up on air, once abruptly stopping his commentary about lost homes and waving away the camera as he looked about to burst into tears. CNN's camera occasionally has caught him playing with stray dogs. He says he has no intention of returning to his hip New York existence any time soon.

"Life is funny like that," Mr. Cooper said of the fashion spreads (he is also in Esquire this month) as he took a break on Friday in Baton Rouge, La. Mr. Cooper's Sept. 1 interview with Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, marked a turning point in the tone of hurricane coverage as he snapped when she began thanking federal officials for their recovery efforts. "Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting," Mr. Cooper interjected. "I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

"And when they hear politicians slap - you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours." His comments pushed right up to the line between tough questioning and confrontational advocacy journalism, but viewers responded.

rest of the article
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/12/arts/television/12coop.html?8hpib

[Catch22Dem]

1. I've liked AC ever since "The Mole"

Didn't realize he was that young. Knew he was prematurely grey, but not THAT prematurely.

[niyad]

2. I have been watching him these last days and am impressed. he doesn't

appear to be letting anyone get away with very much.

I applaud cnn for developing something of a backbone these last two weeks.

[lvx35]

3. I though Cooper did really good compassionate reporting with

the Tsunami disaster as well. I think he's decent...And it also seems like a lot of these guys are waking up!

[ginnyinWI]

12. I first noticed him at his coverage of the Pope's funeral

He had tons of information and it made really interesting coverage.

[LittleClarkie]

4. Does that remind anyone else of someone?

Is he our new Peter Jennings? Maybe just because I remember Jennings getting choked up when Brady got shot during the attempted Reagan assassination.

Wish I could see him, but I work nights. I applaud him anyway.

[Lindsey]

5. His reporting has been nothing less than incredible...

there's no doubt that his life has changed forever....a reporter with a heart...what a rarirty.

[KT2000]

6. He really is doing great work

I think he is setting the bar for other reporters and journalists. In my opinion he is the best one on the ground and I try to catch all of his reports.

[MuseRider]

7. I used to get so

angry with him and stopped watching him but somehow I always liked him. He always seemed to be a good human even though I thought he was part of the BushCo reporting team. I guess this has changed him. I am happy that it has. Somehow he always seemed like a nice guy. We will see what comes of this.

[Avalon Sparks]

8. He is so, so cute, too.

Just had to add that in my opinion, he is so, so cute!!!

He's made a new fan of me!

[Skittles]

14. prematurely gray?

try SEXY gray!

[Lisa]

9. I'd also like to put in a good word for his colleague Jeanne Meserve

She nearly wept when describing what it was like to hear cries for help still coming from the flooded neighborhoods, when the rescue crews had to stop because it was getting dark.

CNN really had some exceptional people reporting from the ground ... and I hope that they get recognition for it. (If the management tries to discipline any of them for showing emotion, or trying to make public officials accountable -- I hope that irate viewers leap to their defense.)

[Janice325]

10. I agree with you about Jeanne Meserve.

[spuddonna]

13. And that's why it's been so damn good - "reporting from the ground"

When the reporters are 'embedded' with the American people, they report the things that we're yelling about...

It's a different MSM when they realize we=them.

[JPZenger]

11. Its good someone showed some compassion

I'm glad Anderson Cooper showed compassion. In the first week, the Bush Administration didn't even pretend to care.

[msgadget]

15. Ah, but the right complained from day one

that reporters weren't being objective and were becoming part of the news they were supposed to be covering. And, I recall the left being mad at him not that long ago for some reason. Ah well, a journalist is probably supposed to piss off both sides. What shocked me was that he wasn't just a talking head this time and I guess Katrina's devestation caused him to lose his distance.