To even the most casual observer of early AM news, it is obvious that the morning newscast at CBS 2 Chicago is replete with professional and entertaining on-air talent. Chicago mainstay Mary Ann Childers needs no further introduction as my in-depth interview with she and husband Jay Levine ( then a morning anchor at CBS, now Childers has newcomer Michael Ayala as her co-anchor ) last fall began this series aptly entitled, "Eye On The Media." Some weeks back we visited with the ever-mischievous meteorologist with an edge, Monty Webb, who keeps us smiling as he gently slips in the bad news about today's 45 mph wind gusts or tomorrow's ozone alert. Corey Morris is a solid bet for up-to-the-minute traffic, and Howard Sudberry keeps sports fans well informed with his timely segments.
But the Channel 2 reporter who is out on the street on this very early morning beat is Suzanne Le Mignot. Le Mignot's calm and sophisticated yet empathic delivery remains constant, whether she is covering a political upset, a tragic crime and its aftermath or an unexpected disaster. As a relatively new face in CBS Channel 2's stable of talent, the North Miami Beach, Fla.-born Le Mignot is fast making a name for herself. She has won her two Peter Lisagor awards in 1994 and 1996, a Silver Dome Award from the Illinois Broadcasting Association in 1997 and additionally a 1993 honor from the prestigious National Association of Black Journalists.
It has been a somewhat circuitous route to fame for Le Mignot, who speaks five languages fluently. The journey to her present post at CBS' Chicago affiliate began in 1989 when Suzanne was employed at WUSF-TV as a production assistant and as an associate producer from 1989-1993. A graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in mass communications, the dynamic young reporter traversed a fascinating path that included an unusual assignment as a news anchor and reporter in Belgrade, Yugoslavia from 1991-1992.
After leaving Belgrade for the states, Le Mignot found her way into the field of radio when she landed a position as news anchor and reporter for WBBM-AM NewsRadio 780 here in Chicago in 1994. In 1995, she accepted a position in Milwaukee at WTMJ-AM, and stayed there until 1996, when she accepted a local position at WGN-AM 780 as reporter and news anchor. Le Mignot returned to WBBM-AM in 1996. She later joined the CBS Chicago Newsteam as a freelance reporter and became a full-time general assignment reporter in 1999. Today Suzanne reports for the 5-7 a.m. newscasts and the 11 a.m. newscasts on Channel 2. Le Mignot also serves as a fill-in morning anchor.
Not one to dominate the spotlight, Le Mignot is one of the only broadcasters I've ever seen with a proclivity to step aside and introduce her cameraman ( men ) in the middle of a live shot on the morning news. Her husband, Keith, is the CEO of his own wireless company.
DAVID GUARINO: In your job as a reporter, you have to face a family who is grieving over the loss of a loved one. It's difficult because sometimes people are dealing with such terrible trauma. We all have these images of a family that's in grief, and then you see microphones being shoved in their faces. You seem to have a sense of great empathy and understanding for the people you are interviewing.
SLM: It's interesting how people react at times. It's the worse thing like you said, some reporters will shove the microphone in the families' face. I will gently speak with someone. And pause with them and say, "I'm very sorry for your loss." It's very emotional, to do these stories, it really is. I will ask them to tell me some of their favorite memories of that person. The worst thing you can ask is "How do you feel?" Their answer would be something like, "Well, how do think I would feel, my child is dead?" Frankly if someone says, "Look, I'm not talking to you," I don't push them. I say, "I understand you're grief and I'm very sorry for your loss" and I walk away. But actually people appreciate it when you say things like that to them. I've actually had some people come back and say, "I'll talk to you now." They are people, not things.
DG: I understand you originally joined CBS as a freelance reporter, and you became a full-time reporter two years ago, in 1999. Tell me the difference.
SLM: A freelance reporter is someone who works basically whenever offered to work, or report on stories. When I was freelancing for Channel 2, I was full time at NewsRadio 780. So I worked, sometimes, double shifts. I would get off the air, and would go downstairs and work. If they said, "We need you," I was there. If they said, "We need you to work Saturday and Sunday; we want you to work morning shift and evening shift," I did it. Basically, freelance reporting means they call you on a per diem basis, in other words, as needed by the day. So honestly I think that tenacity in saying, "I'm there," "I'm there," constantly helped me get the full-time position.
There is a difference between television and radio. In terms of television you're writing for the pictures and in radio you're writing more for the ear. But it's really beautiful for me to be able to tell a story with the pictures and write it for the air and as they say, a picture tells a thousand words. You can look at one image and people instantly get your point. Pictures really evoke emotion and evoke feeling.
DG: And often you're running against deadlines on these stories, are you not?
SLM: ( Suzanne smiles ) Yes! Yesterday. We got out of the news conference at 10:10. We got our signal in at 10:15. We fed the "B" role, which is the pictures, the pictures with natural sound that they would use for my story. I ordered graphics between 10 and 10:15; I was still waiting for some speakers to come to the microphone. So when we got off at 10:15; we set the "B" role, and I was getting my script approved by the executive producer. Then by 10:30 we have to be feeding the pictures, the sound bytes and my script. And 29 minutes later I'm in front of the camera.
DG: One of the things I notice about your reporting style is you can be in the midst of a horrible scenario, like a baby's murder or a fire and yet you always exude an aura of calm. You're presenting the story in a way that befits the seriousness of the situation, yet you appear to do so with an aura of quiet empathy.
SLM: It's true, people have many different choices as to where they will get their news, so presentation is important.
DG: I think it's really so important to give something back to the community whatever it is you give back, and it sounds like you feel the same.
SLM: You have to. Whenever someone stops me on the street and they say, "Hey, how did you get in this business?" I say, here's my card. Call me. I'd be more than happy to show whatever I know and help you. And honestly, David, of the recruits who have called me up, I've gotten each of them jobs. I have to remember, I didn't get here by myself.
DG: I think it's fascinating that you spent time working in Belgrade, Yugoslavia as a reporter and anchor. Do you speak Serbian fluently?
SLM: I speak five languages, yes. I speak Serbian, French, Spanish, English and Jamaican dialect. Honestly, I call it a gift from God. I have no idea how I can do it. I can actually look at a page of vocabulary and memorize it just like that and then tell you the words in the language. It has to be a genetic gift from God above because I can listen to a language and start speaking it or be able to translate things just like that. Like I learned Serbian in less than a month; just a few weeks.
DG: Besides winning two Peter Lisagor Awards you also won The Silver Dome award in 1997 for your coverage of The LaSalle Banks' Chicago Marathon.
SLM: It's for excellence in broadcasting as well. Each year WBBM NewsRadio 780 has asked me to cover that event, and I love doing that event. And what it encompasses is getting on a motorcycle ( usually David Rowe is the driver ) and I'm sitting behind him all geared up, and I love this! And I have my little note pad, and my fingers are literally ten ice cubes; elongated ice cubes because it's so cold, it's always in October. And I'm the one who's supposed to stay with the female runners. And I have to pace the ones that are in the lead. So we'll zoom right up on the motorcycle and I'll say things like, "David, you can see the sweat dripping from her brow, and she's going full force ahead as if nothing's occurring," and I'll be talking to the moderator of the event.
DG: Isn't it hard to get up at 2:30 in the morning and go to a murder scene or sight of some other horrific story?
SLM: Every day when I get up, I say first of all, "Lord, thank you for letting my feet touch the ground." Number two; it's my duty. That's my mindset. And I have to get to the scene, get the facts and report the facts for Chicago and make sure they know about the news that will affect their day, whether it's a traffic situation, a huge tie-up or a child who's had an unfortunate circumstance, who's died in a fire. It's a public service.
DG: What is one of the most difficult stories you've had to report on.
SLM: One story in particular, and it's a fairly recent one about a missing college student. This poor girl was missing. She was living in another state, Vermont, I think. I called the police department for updates, and I learned she was already found dead. So I phoned the home ( of the missing girl ) and I was basically just going to talk with the family and not just show up on their front lawn. I had already been in touch with one of the brothers and one of the sisters. The girl was studying equestrianship and also was studying at a school where she could learn to become a veterinarian. Her brother got on the phone and said, "Now we've got the web site up and her picture's posted and we're hoping that we get some calls in," and I already knew she was dead. And you have to make that decision. I did not tell him, he had all this hope. It wasn't my place, obviously the police hadn't even contacted them yet. That was really hard, I really had to control myself. I said, "OK, we'll speak with you later," and I thought, "Oh my God, he doesn't even know his sister's dead." It was horrible.
DG: What are the best reasons you can think of to part of the CBS newsteam?
SLM: No.1, being part of a team, a collective effort and that's everyone involved. I love working with Jay and Mary Ann, they're wonderful people and professionals at what they do, and I especially love working with them and Monty ( Webb ) , it's great being part of that team. We also have great people behind the scenes; it's not all about me. Where would I be without my cameraman? No. 2, being able to inform Chicago, to get out there and find the information and being able to present it, that's an honor. The third would be being able to tell stories that help people.
DG: If there is an "unforgivable sin" that a journalist can commit, what might that be?
SLM: Lying. To expound on that a bit, lying about the facts in a story. Or, I'll give you another example. If I go to an event and they're serving food, I won't take any food. I don't want the people putting on this event to think that they can get me to write whatever they want me to write because they took care of me. I am there to do a job, and I'm not going to be swayed.
DG: Do you think that minority groups are often their own worst enemies, whether you're gay, lesbian, Black, Asian, etc.? Can we be "too zealous" in our desire for recognition or acceptance?
SLM: I guess I feel that's there's always a place for inclusion and everyone deserves a piece of the pie. So I feel that, for example, when there are groups out there who say, "Look, our voices aren't being heard," there should be inclusion. At the same time, I also feel that the other side should be heard as well. So it should be equal. Yes, people should be able to express what they want to say, and if they're upset with something, if they've been excluded from a job, an event, an opportunity of some sort, they should be able to say so. But at the same time the other side should be able to say, "Well this is the reason why," and maybe it has nothing to do with your race, sexual orientation, religion, whatever. "We just don't have a position here," can be a truthful answer.
DG: Do you feel that the gay and lesbian community are taken seriously today as a voting block?
SLM: I would have to say yes. Because particularly during the presidential campaign, even during local elections people go out and seek minority votes. Not only people of color but also the gay and lesbian vote as well. You are definitely a segment of the population that candidates see as having voting power, having rights, having talked about certain issues and they want inclusion for you, for gays and lesbians, for that group, absolutely. ... I do see an increase in reporting on stories of gays and lesbians as well. And I don't mean from a negative aspect. They make sure their ( gays' and lesbians' ) stories are told.
DG: Suzanne, could you share with us the name of someone not in the field of Broadcast Journalism who you consider an inspiration and role model not only for yourself, but for many?
SLM: [ Olympian ] Wilma Rudolph.
E-mail: DavdRonald@aol.com
