Lisa Desjardins
- College of William & Mary (BS)
- Northwestern University (MS)
Lisa Desjardins (née Goddard; born January 29, 1972[1][2]) is an American political journalist. She is a correspondent at PBS NewsHour and has previously worked for the Associated Press and CNN Radio.[3] As of 2018, she has reported on five U.S. presidential elections.[4]
Early life and education
Desjardins was born in Hawaii but grew up in Annandale, Virginia.[5] Her father was a naval officer who retired at the rank of captain and later worked as a college instructor. She has three siblings and seven step siblings on her father's side.[6][7] She became interested in politics during her childhood.[5]
Desjardins studied at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, from 1990 to 1994, earning a bachelor's degree in economics.[8] Subsequently, she spent two years doing Russian studies at Herzen University in Saint Petersburg, where she learned to speak Russian.[8] Starting in 1996, she attended Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She received a Master of Science degree in journalism from that university the following year.[9]
Career
Desjardins' first job in journalism was at the local television station WBTW in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, between 1998 and 1999, when she was fired.[5][9] Next, she worked as a freelance reporter for The Sun News, a Myrtle Beach newspaper, and, at the same time, as a freelance reporter for the news agency Reuters. After a few months, in October 1999, she left The Sun News and joined the Columbia NBC-affiliate WIS as a political reporter, while she remained a reporter for Reuters.[10] At WIS, she covered the South Carolina Legislature, the debate on the display of the Confederate Flag at the South Carolina State House, and the 2000 Republican presidential primaries.[8] In 2003, Desjardins became a reporter in the Washington, D.C., bureau of the Associated Press, where she reported on, among other things, the 2004 presidential election; Medicaid; hurricanes; and the Iraq War.[8]
Next, Desjardins moved to CNN, where she worked for nine years from 2005 to 2014.[8] She was CNN Radio's Congressional correspondent, but also occasionally reported for CNN.com and CNN's news channel.[9] Desjardins reported on the 2010 Haiti earthquake for CNN Radio, whose coverage was awarded a Sigma Delta Chi Award.[11] When CNN Radio was shut down in June 2013, she was transferred to CNN's Washington Bureau, where she worked as a Capitol Hill reporter.[12] She was part of the team that covered the 2008 presidential primaries. CNN received a Peabody Award in 2008 for the team's coverage.[4][13] During her time at CNN, she and Rick Emerson wrote a book on personal finance, entitled Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance. It was published in May 2011 by Avery Publishing.[9][14] Desjardins chaired the June 2014 annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association.[15] She left CNN after being laid off in August 2014.[16][17]
Desjardins joined PBS NewsHour in October 2014 as a political reporter, and in July 2015 was elevated to Political Director, appearing on camera from the studio and from the U.S. Capitol. She also writes articles for the NewsHour website.[4] Her current title on the NewsHour is Capitol Hill Correspondent.[18]
Desjardins was inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, covering the counting and certification of the 2020 Presidential Electoral College votes when the building was attacked by violent mobs. Despite being assaulted by a rioter,[19] she continued reporting live throughout the attack and was evacuated alongside members of Congress and staffers to the Longworth House Office Building. Later that evening, Desjardins returned to cover the delayed certification process and remained in the Capitol until 3:45 am the following morning.[20][21] In 2022, PBS NewsHour received a Peabody Award for its January 6 reporting, with Desjardins the only reporter broadcasting live from the Capitol outside of the area under lockdown.[22][23]
Personal life
Desjardins has been married to Jason Desjardins since 2007. They have a son, who was born in 2016, and they live in Alexandria, Virginia.[9][24]
References
- ^ "How to Survive the 'Zombie Economy'". Fox Business Network. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ Nawaz, Amna [@IAmAmnaNawaz] (29 January 2020). "is there such a thing as a Birthday Spreadsheet? nvm i'll keep looking...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, @LisaDNews ! https://t.co/ajvxJEiCSF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Lisa Desjardins". PBS. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ a b c "PBS NewsHour Names Lisa Desjardins Political Director; Total of Five Promotions". PBS. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ a b c Dornic, Matt (6 May 2011). "FBDC Interview: New Author, CNN's Lisa Desjardins". Adweek. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ "Thomas Bohner Goddard". Covenant Funeral Service. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Thomas B. Goddard". Legacy.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Lisa Desjardins". CNN. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "About the Authors". Zombie Economics. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ Ariens, Chris (8 October 2014). "Lisa Desjardins Joins 'NewsHour'". Adweek. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ "2010 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees". Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ Knox, Merrill (15 July 2013). "Evan Perez, Lisa Desjardins Join CNN Washington Bureau". Adweek. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Coverage of 2008 Presidential Primary Campaigns and Debates (CNN)". Peabody Awards. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ Desjardins, Lisa; Emerson, Rick (2011). Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance. Avery. ISBN 978-1583334270.
- ^ "Radio and Television Correspondents' Association". 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-09-23. Retrieved 24 June 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ de Moraes, Lisa (29 August 2014). "A CNN Star Is Born As She Is Shown The Door: Video". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ Lisa's CNN Goodbye. Lisa Desjardins. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "PBS NewsHour". About Us.
- ^ "PBS NewsHour correspondent assaulted during Capitol riots". U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Epstein, Rachel (2021-01-08). "18 Hours of Chaos and Uncertainty: Reporting Inside the U.S. Capitol". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Desjardins, Lisa [@LisaDNews] (7 January 2021). "My deepest thanks to all of you for the incredible support and Twitter embrace today. It meant more than you could know. Going home now, so glad to say" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (June 7, 2022). "Peabody Awards: 'My Name is Pauli Murray,' 'Hacks' Among Second Round of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "PBS NewsHour's Coverage of January 6th Named Recipient of Peabody Award". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^ Desjardins, Lisa [@LisaDNews] (4 March 2016). "INTRODUCING: Max Desjardins, our brand new son. We are over the moon. He's v happy, except this, re: 2016 elex. https://t.co/lq1pOzBIEW" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via Twitter.
External links
Media related to Lisa Desjardins at Wikimedia Commons