Karen Swensen Biography
Karen Swensen is a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who hosts Eyewitness News at 5 and 6 p.m. on WWL-TV in New Orleans. She has also won several Gracie and Gabriel Awards, as well as Associated Press and Press Club Awards.
How old is Karen Swensen?- Age
She was born and raised in the United States of America. Her date of birth is not revealed.
Karen Swensen Education
She received an Honors degree in Political Science with a minor in Spanish from Penn State University Phi Beta Kappa. Karen has a master’s degree in journalism from the same university as well. Karen received an honorary doctorate from the University of Holy Cross in 2017. She also received a fellowship from Loyola University’s Institute of Politics in New Orleans.
is Karen Swensen Married?- Husband
Her late husband, John Patrick Ronquillo, was her partner. At the age of 64, he died of cancer on September 4, 2018. His forebears can be found in New Orleans, where he was born, in the 1700s. In front of their family and friends, the couple wedded and celebrated their wedding at St. Louis Cathedral. Karen and John have a son named Matthew and a daughter named Catherine as their children.
Karen Swensen WWL TV – Career
She worked at WWL-TV for the first time in 2005 and left in 2006. After departing for a morning anchor position, Karen returned to New England Cable News in Boston in 2010 as the channel’s 10 p.m. anchor and reporter. At the same time, Karen started working as a newscaster for WUPL-TV at 9 p.m. Karen and her subsequent husband relocated to New Orleans in early 2011 to replace Lucy Bustamante, who had moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where her husband was stationed, to assume an anchor position at WWL-sister TV’s station.
Swensen hosts Eyewitness News on WWL-TV in New Orleans between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m. She is a five-time Emmy Award winner who has covered everything from the long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina to Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, as well as local and state politics, including moderating governor, Senate, and mayoral debates in New Orleans. Karen has won many Gracie and Gabriel Honors, Associated Press and Press Club Awards, and the New Orleans Press Club Award for Best Broadcast Writing, in addition to six Edward R. Murrow regional awards for investigative journalism, writing, and feature reporting. She was also named “Best Anchor” by the readers of New York’s Gambit newspaper.
Karen was the only female anchor at WWL who was in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. For their nonstop coverage of Hurricane Katrina, WWL-TV won the George Foster Peabody Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and the DuPont-Columbia Award. Karen also spent almost five years as a morning anchor for NECN in Boston. While she was there, Karen made and produced a number of films, including “Katrina: A Flood of Tears,” which screened at Harvard University and was followed by a panel discussion on the event.
Karen is the creator of “Life’s About Change,” a seasonal t-shirt line featuring Delta, a figure whose tagline encourages people to embrace change. She has donated the entire cash, almost $20,000, to cancer research and remains committed to finding a cure in memory of her late husband, John, who was her life’s passion. Six Edward R. Murrow area awards for investigative journalism, writing, and feature reporting, two regional Emmys, and Associated Press and Press Club of New Orleans awards (including the Jim Metcalf Memorial Award for best broadcast writing), among others, have been bestowed upon her. She was part of the WWL-TV team that covered Hurricane Katrina, winning the George Foster Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards for the station.
Karen Swensen Salary
Karen earns an annual salary ranging from $40,000 – $ 110,500.
Karen Swensen’s Net Worth
Karen has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million
Karen Swensen Awards