Suzanne Shaw

An average day in Shaw's life starts early in the morning, is filled with excitement and energy throughout the day, and ends late in the evening. Shaw's alarm goes off at six o'clock in the morning, beginning her day. She tunes in to National and CNBC news to understand top stories covered that day. She also observes the local newscasts to learn what isJhappening in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shaw then reads at least two different newspapers. A local newspaper like the San Jose Mercury News or the S.F. Chronicle and also the New York Times. After learning about the stories and events occurring in the world, Shaw drives to the studio in San Francisco to prepare for the five and six o'clock news. Four days a week Shaw goes to the city around ten and stays there till after seven in the evening. During the day Shaw rewrites, edits, and reworks stories that she then discusses with her producer before going on air. Shaw also does "Cut-in" programming in a partnership with CNN and MS/NBC. The cut-ins give the national cable programs a five minute local news update. One day a week, Shaw drives to the station;s Dan Jose bureau, tapes three half-hour technology shows called "New Media News," followed by the live anchoring of the 5 and 6 pm newscasts. At the end of each day Shaw goes home, spends time with her family, and waits to delve into tomorrow's action.

Shaw has a natural love for learning new things. After twenty-three years in the TV news business, this job is still enjoyable for her since she is able to discover and share with others the latest breaking stories. It is most exhilarating when she researches a new story that nobody else has dug their teeth in, thus allowing her to break new ground and share her findings with an audience. Broadcast journalism also allows Shaw to have access to experts in all fields, enabling her to understand everything and anything in new stories. For Shaw it is a "privilege and a responsibility to work in such a field."

As in every profession there are some obstacles that must be overcome. The biggest obstacle for Shaw is in dealing with people who have different opinions and want to move a story or idea in a new direction. As Shaw says, "It is an art to convince others that you are right without belittling their principles and knowledge; yet is also an art to know when to give in and compromise." It is a definite obstacle to overcome since no one person puts on a newscast; it's a team effort!

"Journalists are made by having a good well rounded education," says Shaw. Shaw grew up in Monterey with three brothers strengthening her for her future challenges in life. She attended Santa Catalina School for Girls. Being in an all girls high school, she never felt intimidated and could explore all her options. She had a love for math and science; "subjects that are necessary to know for all professions." Shaw knows that there is no easy route; it is a touchy situation to take a different path from the norm. One tough lesson for Shaw occurred in high school, when she chose not to take American History during the school year, but rather during summer. It was the easiest "A" she had ever earned. The teacher was lax and unchallenging and all the tests were multiple choice. However, in taking this easy route, Shaw did not learn all the details of American History that would have been taught during the school year. She had a tough time filling in all the gaps in the future. A lesson to be learned is that in the short term the easy route does in fact seem easy but in the long run it can backfire. In high school one must take as many subjects as possible to expand their scope of knowledge. Shaw feels "it is important to try new things instead of ignoring options out of fear of failure. One must try to be a part of the school government, newspaper, or yearbook to meet new challenges and opportunities one doesn't get in the classroom."

Shaw then ventured to Stanford for her college education. Not until her junior year did she have a wonderful sociology professor who inspired her to go into Stanford's Communications Department. "It is a luxury to go to a school with great teachers" says Shaw. She is a firm believer in having a broad scope and not narrowing down and focusing on one subject too early. It is also preferable to have a Communications minor and have expertise in other majors like Economics or Computer Science. What Shaw stresses is that it is "good to dabble in everything, especially if you're going to be assigned to general field reporting. You have to be ready for everything!"

Her parents did play a role of being the motivating force. Shaw's dad believed that she could "go anywhere and do anything. With such a big fan and believer it motivates you to excel" says Shaw. Her dad made everything possible. He made many sacrifices for Shaw to go to Stanford, knowing the priceless nature of a good education.

Even outside of broadcasting, Shaw is very active. She is very involved in public services. She is on the board of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Since 1996, Shaw has been a member of "Support for Families of Children with Disabilities." She also supports the Packard Children's Hospital and OICW(a program helping unemployed adults.) Yet her activities do not end there. Along with her husband, they are raising a son and two daughters. With her many activities and workplace demands, Shaw knows first hand the fallacy of the "Super Mom" myth. "It is a continually frustrating enterprise," she says, "to have to juggle everything from soccer coaching to internet research. I feel I am always compromising. But, when you lead a full life, juggling becomes an art...and it certainly beats the alternative." Suzanne Shaw is a truly inspiring woman.