INTERVIEW
WITH
ONEONONE SHANNON BREAM
ern By Stacey Leeb
Reporter for FOX News, who grew up in the south, has found a job that combines her experience in law with her long-standing passion for news.
ox News Channel Supreme Court reporter, Shannon Bream, wasn’t always the poised and energetic reporter we see in front of the camera today. Bream, who earned a law degree from Florida State University after graduating from Liberty University, spent several years practicing law before transitioning into the broadcast world. Her leap of faith was met with some criticism, but her faith in God and passion for broadcasting outweighed the negativity.
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equipped me with certain real-life skills I couldn’t learn in a classroom. I traveled to places and met people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Oh the adventures!
What is a typical day like for you at Fox News? There are none! Each day brings a new assignment, sometimes a new city. I love the diversity of spending one day at the Supreme Court, and the next on the campaign trail. The days can be long, but they fly by. We stay busy with live reports, interviews, radio, blogging and research. I’ve never once looked at my watch and thought, “This day is dragging…”
She graciously sat down with SVM to discuss her professional transition, social networking and her title as Miss Virginia 1990.
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The best lesson I learned from my days as a lawyer is that there are always multiple sides to every story. It often takes some digging to ferret out the truth, and that’s our job.
You speak of having strong Christian values. Is this what led you to attend Liberty University? That was certainly a big part of the equation. I was intrigued by the opportunity to study theology, along with my chosen major— and to be a part of a community that found great purpose and hope in a shared faith. Plus, I’d visited several times and had the time of my life. What gave you the courage to give up a promising law career for an entry level job at a Tampa TV station? I always find the “square peg in a round hole” metaphor is the best description of what I was doing while practicing law. It wasn’t an impossible task, but it was the wrong fit for me. My heart was elsewhere, and it took a year of seeking advice from people inside and outside the news business before I took the leap. I think I was the world’s oldest intern when I got my first chance to work in a newsroom! It was a necessary part of my journey, and gave me a real taste of what I was getting in to. In the end, it would have been much scarier for me to stay where I was than to follow my passion. You have competed in both the Miss America and the Miss USA pageants. How has that participation helped you in life and in your career? Both experiences taught me the value of in-depth preparation, fighting through obstacles and thinking on my feet. They were such unique opportunities, and
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place, and I believe you could spend a lifetime telling the stories that originate here. I want to keep doing that in some form or fashion for many years to come!
A self-described “news junkie,” Bream graduated from North Florida Christian and Liberty University before earning a law degree From Florida State University.
What social networking sites do you participate in? Which is your favorite and why? You can find me chirping away at twitter.com/shannonbream and on facebook as well. I go through spurts when I’m completely engaged in the online world, but also take sabbaticals. Regardless of the platform, my favorite social media thing to do is to upload pictures of what I’m doing throughout the day—especially if I’m somewhere interesting like the White House. You have called your job a "dream job." Is there anything you still want to do career wise? I find Washington to be a fascinating
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Often you are recognized for being legitimate, accurate and honest in your reporting. Do you consider this to be a personality trait or traits you have aspired to have as a reporter? The best lesson I learned from my days as a lawyer is that there are always multiple sides to every story. It often takes some digging to ferret out the truth, and that’s our job. I like that when I meet people they have questions about where I stand personally. They should never be able to tell through my work. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working? I’m still that middle school nerd who always has her nose buried in a book, but when I can get out of town there’s nothing like spending a day in the middle of nowhere fly fishing with my husband. svm