My Secret Love Affair with America's Top News Babes

I'm a guy who really likes my news. I enjoy driving around in my car in the late afternoon listening to Terry Gross's interview People on Fresh Air, then slide into All Things Considered for some serious news consumption. If I'm out running around in the morning, I get to listen to Dianne Rehm's show. When I get home in time for the evening news, I flip between PBS, CNN, ABC, looking for my favorite "news babes". I don't know what it is, but I began to notice over the last several years that I particularly liked news stories done by a handful of newswomen.

There are the straight news stars: Cokie Roberts and Nina Totenberg, the Queen of the interview is Barbara Walters, feature artist Jane Pauley, and Sylvia Poggioli and Christian Amanpour are out dodging bullets to bring us the latest on whatever most awful situation is going on every day.

Yeah, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and that other guy can read the news ok, but somehow these newswomen come across a lot more real to me. There's just something about an intelligent woman, and when she's presenting the news -- what could be better?

Nina Totenberg

Now doing some work for ABC News Nightline. Nina Totenberg is the Legal Affairs Correspondent for NPR. Married with Noah Adams of NPR? Totenberg's coverage of the Supreme Court and legal affairs has won her widespread recognition. In 1991, her groundbreaking report about Professor Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment by Judge Clarence Thomas sparked a national debate. Totenberg anchored NPR's gavel-to-gavel coverage of the hearings, which won the prestigious Peabody Award.

Christiane Amanpour

I don't know why, but nobody i know seems to have heard of her. Even Eric, and he is an news bug, too! She just signed for $2 million/year for three years to become the highest-paid field correspondent in TV news. She's always turning in a story from some dangerous and awful place. Amanpour was on the Charlie Rose show the other night, and she was great. What an amazingly intelligent person.

Barbara Walters

She has a great book called something like, "How to interview anybody about anything". Unfortunately I loaned it out and never got it back. Walters reportedly has a base salary range of $4 million with additional fees for her specials that add up to an annual salary in the $7 to $8 million area, and this isn't even counting how much she made from that book. As much as she makes, she could probably afford to send me one. But then again I guess I could afford to go buy one.

Jane Pauley

Jane Pauley graduated from I.U. in 1972. She is a cohost of NBC's Dateline. She did the Today for some time. Currently doing a gig called Time & Again on MSNBC network. Married with Gary Trudeau who does Doonsbury. No relation to Pauley Shore, thank god!

Terry Gross

Host, "Fresh Air" on NPR. In 1975, Gross joined the staff of WHYY in Philadelphia where she produced and hosted "Fresh Air." Following great local success, the show went national in 1985. In addition, Gross has served as guest host for "CBS Nightwatch" and "All Things Considered." Unfortunately my local NPR affiliate, WBAA at Purdue University, no longer carrys Fresh Air! I guess they just don't have the budget for it.

Dianne Rehm

Not exactly hard news, so I guess it's not a perfect fit here. The Dianne Rehm show is on National Public Radio daily. Gives balance and sanity to topics discussed on her show, and is even nice to idiots when they call. What a breath of fresh air her show is!