Shannon Sohn

Background

Sohn grew up in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey and graduated from Old Bridge High School in 1992.

Education

She attended Rutgers University, majoring in journalism and communications, along with a minor in advertising.

Career

While in college, Sohn spent two years as an intern at WCTC News Radio in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Shortly before her graduation, WCTC offered her a position as a weekend news anchor and to fill a vacancy in the station"s aerial traffic reporter spot, which was being vacated by Dan Rice who was heading to WABC-television in New York City. In 2000, she earned a degree in broadcast meteorology degree through courses taken online at Mississippi State University.

Sohn started doing airplane traffic reports for New York City radio stations WABC, WHTZ and WPLJ. Sohn was hired by WABC-television in 2001 as part of its Eyewitness News Team on NewsCopter 7.

She was scheduled to end her shift just minutes after the first tower was hit and did not leave her chair in the studio until Friday, providing news to the public as it came in from reporters in the field In 2005, while flying in the WABC helicopter, she was able to track the crash of a Chopper 4 helicopter, using the helicopter"s camera to track the crash, hoping that the images would allow emergency personnel to be accurately and quickly directed to the precise location of the incident.

Achievements

• Sohn won a reporting award from the Associated Press while at WCTC. She won a Peabody Award for her coverage of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Sohn won a local Emmy Award for "Instant Breaking News" for her coverage of the crash. The clip was submitted for a national Emmy Award which Sohn won, making her the first helicopter reporter to win a national Emmy.

Connections

rival:

Dan Rice