It’s April 2003, the first weeks of the war, and U.S. forces reach the outskirts of Baghdad, encountering fierce fighting from Iraqi’s Republican Guard.
Information from embedded reporters were calling in news from Iraq and Kuwait to the New York Fox newsroom. Producers from Fox, CNN and MSNBC where cranking out live reports of the Middle East battles 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Catherine Brosseau, Fox News Channel producer and 1992 Brandon High School graduate, was at the helm of the newsroom as an estimated 70 million viewers watched the events of those early days of the conflict.
‘It’s very competitive, the news shows are live and on deadline,? said Brosseau, 34, daughter of local businessman Bob Wilk. ‘It’s all about who gets it first, but you have to be right. The story comes into the newsroom, and within minutes it’s on the air.?
‘News coming that fast is a very delicate situation,? she said. ‘The top news people watch very close and we realize that terrorists are watching our shows.?
Brosseau, 34, earned a bachelor of arts degree with a double major in communications and political science from Michigan State University in 1996. Her first job was with New York-based CBS Newspath before landing an associate producer and producer position with MSNBC. She later moved on to Fox News where she worked as a producer for the past eight years.
‘With technology, world news can be very sensitive to security,? she said.
For example, when George Bush went to Iraq for the first time, Fox and other news services were aware of the trip prior to his departure.
‘We knew it,? she said. ‘But it was never reported until he arrived in Iraq.?
In May, Brosseau moved on as a producer for ABC 20/20 with John Strossel and Elizabeth Vargas.
‘John’s a great guy,? she said. ‘He’s been great to work with and while I can’t say what show we are now working on, everyone can check it out in October. So far, 20/20 has been great. It’s a lot slower pace and much more time to work on stories.?
After more than a decade in broadcast journalism, Brosseau says the industry is still changing.
Brosseau, her husband Randy, a Goodrich High School graduate, along with their two children, Raegan, 3, and Jack, 2, live in West New York, NJ.