Charles Bierbauer
Encyclopedia
Charles Bierbauer was for many years CNN
’s senior Washington
correspondent
and a veteran reporter covering national and international affairs.
As a CNN correspondent, Bierbauer reported on five presidential campaigns
and served as CNN’s senior White House
correspondent for almost a decade during the Reagan
and Bush Administration
s. He has traveled with American presidents
to all 50 states and more than 30 nations.
in Emmaus, Pennsylvania
and Penn State
, where he earned three degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Russian
, a Bachelor's degree in journalism
, and a Master's degree in journalism
. Penn State has named him a distinguished alumnus and alumni fellow.
while assigned there with TUSLOG Det 4 in 1962-1964 with the Army Security Agency. At Sinop, he worked wiring the base for radio and also did various on-air duties including sports play by play. He started his commercial broadcast career as a radio reporter for WKAP radio in Allentown, Pennsylvania
, in 1963. He also worked in print journalism, writing for The Morning Call
in Allentown. He was a reporter with the Associated Press
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(1967–68) and a correspondent in Bonn
for the Chicago Daily News
.
(1977–81), first as Moscow
bureau chief and later as the Bonn bureau chief. Prior to that, he worked in Philadelphia
, London
, Bonn and Vienna
as a correspondent for Westinghouse Broadcasting. He worked for CNN for 20 years.
In 2001 he was reporter and producer for a Discovery Channel
documentary on the September 11, 2001 attacks
.
He served as a member of the National Council for Media & Public Affairs at George Washington University
and is on the advisory board for the Washington Center for Politics and Journalism.
In 1997, he won an Emmy
for anchoring CNN coverage of the 1996 Olympic Park
bombing in Atlanta
. He also is a recipient of the ACE Award from the Association for Cable Excellence and the Overseas Press Club Award for his reporting of the Yom Kippur War
.
Bierbauer became the first dean of the newly merged College of Mass Communications and Information Studies at the University of South Carolina
in July 2002. He also has remained involved with Penn State as a lecturer and as a member of the College of Communications Board of Visitors and as a member of the alumni association's Communications Advisory Board. He is currently the dean of The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of South Carolina.
correspondent for the Associated Press. He has four children and six grandchildren.
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
’s senior Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
and a veteran reporter covering national and international affairs.
As a CNN correspondent, Bierbauer reported on five presidential campaigns
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
and served as CNN’s senior White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
correspondent for almost a decade during the Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Bush Administration
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
s. He has traveled with American presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
to all 50 states and more than 30 nations.
Education
Bierbauer is a graduate of Emmaus High SchoolEmmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
in Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
and Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he earned three degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, a Bachelor's degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, and a Master's degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. Penn State has named him a distinguished alumnus and alumni fellow.
Early career
Bierbauer began his career in radio at KBOK Radio in Sinop, TurkeySinop, Turkey
Sinop is a city with a population of 36,734 on İnce Burun , by its Cape Sinop which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope...
while assigned there with TUSLOG Det 4 in 1962-1964 with the Army Security Agency. At Sinop, he worked wiring the base for radio and also did various on-air duties including sports play by play. He started his commercial broadcast career as a radio reporter for WKAP radio in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, in 1963. He also worked in print journalism, writing for The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
in Allentown. He was a reporter with the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
(1967–68) and a correspondent in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
for the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
.
Television career
Bierbauer was an overseas correspondent for ABC NewsABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
(1977–81), first as Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
bureau chief and later as the Bonn bureau chief. Prior to that, he worked in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Bonn and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as a correspondent for Westinghouse Broadcasting. He worked for CNN for 20 years.
In 2001 he was reporter and producer for a Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
documentary on the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
He served as a member of the National Council for Media & Public Affairs at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
and is on the advisory board for the Washington Center for Politics and Journalism.
In 1997, he won an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for anchoring CNN coverage of the 1996 Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
bombing in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. He also is a recipient of the ACE Award from the Association for Cable Excellence and the Overseas Press Club Award for his reporting of the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
.
Bierbauer became the first dean of the newly merged College of Mass Communications and Information Studies at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
in July 2002. He also has remained involved with Penn State as a lecturer and as a member of the College of Communications Board of Visitors and as a member of the alumni association's Communications Advisory Board. He is currently the dean of The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of South Carolina.
Personal
Bierbauer is married to Susanne Schafer, formerly the PentagonThe Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
correspondent for the Associated Press. He has four children and six grandchildren.