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Robin Meade, Ex-Detainees' Interviewer of Choice
The three American hostages released from Colombia July 2 took their exclusive right to, er, Headline News
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On Wednesday, July 2, with the national news cycle threatening to slouch into a summer lull, a promising story suddenly popped up from an unlikely spot, several thousand miles south of Barack Obama’s cute daughters in Chicago and equally far removed from Christie Brinkley’s messy divorce in the Hamptons.
According to the wire services, a team of Colombian special forces, disguised as humanitarian workers, had pulled off a daring rescue, tricking armed Marxist-inspired rebels, known as FARC, into turning over 15 longtime hostages. Among the freed captives: French-Colombian activist politician Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors, all of whom had been held against their will in the jungle for more than five years.
Across the city, every TV booker in New York began salivating on cue.
Roughly a week later, the race for the big get was over. Ms. Betancourt had chosen to be interviewed by Ann Curry on NBC Nightly News (average viewers in June: more than 7.5 million) and by Larry King on his eponymous CNN show (average viewers in June: 1.13 million).
The three Americans chose to sit down with … Robin Meade, the lead anchor of Headline News’ Morning Express (average viewers in June: 238,000).
How’d that happen?
It was a Tuesday afternoon around lunchtime when Ms. Meade, a pretty 39-year-old anchor (and onetime Miss Ohio) who joined Headline News in 2001, got a call from her boss. That morning, she had already anchored Morning Express, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and then filed a report for Accent-Health—a medical network she appears on with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, which is shown in physician waiting rooms.
Her boss explained that representatives for the freed hostages had called for her. Ms. Meade didn’t waste much time asking, “Why me?” The Fates of journalism had smiled upon her. She was ready to go. Less than 48 hours later, on Thursday morning, Ms. Meade, dressed in a wine-red jacket, an above-the-knee dark skirt and dark pumps, walked into the Fort Sam Houston military facility in San Antonio, Texas.
Ms. Meade was no stranger to the facility. For Veterans Day last year, she traveled to the base to do a story about its sled hockey team, made up of amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also did a story there about doctors using pets as therapy.
So it must have seemed to those who were administering the “reintegration” program in which the three contractors were engaged that she was a relatively safe choice to interview them.
Ms. Meade said she never did find out why the former detainees had decided to appear solely on her show.
“They indicated that they felt they could trust me, that they liked the way I conducted the show,” said Ms. Meade. “But to be honest, I didn’t say, ‘Enough about you, what do you like about me?’”
When Ms. Meade arrived on Thursday morning, a major general told her the former hostages were out on a deck, gazing up at the big Texas sky. After five years in the confines of the canopied jungle, the sight of an open horizon reassured them when they were feeling tense. Ms. Meade was also told that they had been given a secret hand signal. If they were feeling uncomfortable during the interview, one flash, and the big get was kaput. Next Page >
I think it is obvious why they chose her. I would have chosen her too.
Love that Robin Meade........
Robin Meade is the perfect brunette! No wonder the former hostages, all men, asked for her!
yummy robin meade, nice legs baby
Oh my God, look at the legs on that woman! Absolutely incredible! I am so in love!
A sentence in the article reads: "Eventually, the men came inside. Everyone shook hands." That is intentionally placed code in journalism. The choice of this reporter was indeed a good one!
The hostages also said they knew she wouldn't "ambush" them or in other words ask tough or difficult questions. She isn't a real smart journalist.
I watch Robin every morning and she is most certainly a "smart journalist." It's upsetting to me that in 2008, some of my colleagues in the news business still directly relate a woman's looks as an indication of her worth as a journalist. What does the length of Robin's skirt have to do with anything? Shame on you Mr. Gillette, and NY Observer for allowing this sexist piece to be published.
Angela Hursh
Cincinnati, OH
I desperately need a date.
To sit across from her and stare at her legs is worth it!!!
If Valerie Solanas was alive today, she would like to have the home addresses of the editors of this paper.
THE PEOPLE WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT
On March 19, 1969 I was wounded in the Viet Nam War, not only myself but many others, also there were many killed. The way this happen is unreal, we were a artillery company and several of us were sent out on a special mission. While we were gone our captain was murdered by four or five BLACK
guys, by throwing grenades in his tent. Due to this situation the rest of the officers were so scared that they took all weapons and locked them up. They already removed the bad guys so why should the rest of us have to be put in this dangerous position? We walked around all day doing our chores scared and nervous. But the officers were safe. About three days later our compound was over run with the enemy.
There were some outstanding young men killed and wounded that day, because they had no weapons to fight back with. All our weapons were safe locked away. Guess how much money that saved the government since we did not have to shoot one bullet? I have been carrying this around for almost forty years. I have asked many news papers to print this story and some TV stations to report about it, but the death of fine outstanding young men does not sell. Unarmed prisoners of war by our own country does not make the news. Young men murdered is not what they are interested in. What they want is lies about a Senator being shot at, or if someone is wearing a lapel pin. I would like to know the reaction of the parents when the government told them that their son was killed in action in Viet Nam. But maybe they forgot to tell the parents their son had no weapon, because the officers that they had to lead them and guide them took them away, because they were cowards. Now after almost forty years I want this government to stand up and admit a mistake was made and honor these young men as HEROS. Hopefully this will help some of my nightmares go away, and maybe there was a reason that I did not die that day? I have lived in torture all this time seeing their faces and their eyes wondering WHY? I have been writing letters and sending out e-mails, but not one reply from Congress or the Senate. The Veterans have not replied nor did the Marine Corps. I will be 61 years old the 29th and I will never forget these men and I will never quit trying to get someone to say we were wrong and we are sorry. If any of you could have seen these young bodies covered in BLOOD and the look on their face
as their eyes were asking WHY, I believe you would feel the same way! The parents may not be alive today but at least they will hear from their graves, someone HONOR them and they can rest. My health is not doing well
because I was hit with a grenade and I am progressively getting worst, also I was physically in contact with AGENT ORANGE. Which I never received any compensation for just the regular run around. Also when I returned from Viet Nam and was HONORABLEY discharged I looked for work. But due to the fact that I was honest and mentioned that I had been wounded in Viet Nam but it would not prevent me from doing the job most companies still would not hire me. They said if something happen they would be responsible and they did not want to take that chance. Thank you Ford, General Motors, General Electric, Champion Papers and City of Hamilton, Ohio for reaching out to a Disabled Veteran when I needed it the most. So I finally took a less paying job and worked for twenty ( 20 ) years. Then they moved to Texas and filed bankruptcy just on the pension plan, so for the 20 years that I worked I get $130.19 per month. This is how the GOVERNMENT thanks me. Now they tell me the P.B.G.C. won't give me my money as a lump sum when in the rules it states that if the board votes it can issue a lump sum for special reasons. And this company is still in business making the same product and making money. Right now today
I believe the government should give me my pension as a lump sum and compensation for agent orange
and all the Marines that died that day that had no weapon should be awarded the MEDAL OF HONOR. The whole company should be awarded the Prisoner of War Medal. " Congress defines a prisoner of war as a person who, while serving on active duty, was forcibly detained by an enemy government or a hostile force, during a period of war or in situations comparable to war ". AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO AMITT AND SAY WE ARE SORRY.
Rick Rouse
Semper Fi