Chris Hansen
Christopher Edward "Chris" Hansen (born September 13, 1959) is an American television personality most famously known for his role on Dateline NBC. He was on a part of the show called To Catch a Predator, where he tries to catch people who are trying to meet minors aged 13–15 on the Internet for sexual activity. Hansen has done other investigative reporting, and has won seven Emmy Awards for his reporting.[1]
Career
He went to Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills Michigan.[2] Hansen became a reporter for Lansing NBC affiliate WILX in 1981 during his senior year at Michigan State University.[3][4] He then reported for WFLA in Tampa, various radio stations and newspapers in Michigan, WXYZ in Detroit, and WDIV as an investigative reporter and anchor from 1988.[3] In May 1993, Hansen joined NBC News as a correspondent for the newsmagazine Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric.[3]
Dateline NBC
Hansen's notable work for Dateline includes coverage of the Columbine massacre, the Oklahoma City terrorist attack, the Unabomber and the TWA Flight 800 disaster; as well as investigative reports on Indian child slave labor and on counterfeit prescription drug sales in China. Hansen was responsible for most of Dateline's coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as stories on terrorist groups and the operations of Al-Qaeda. He exposed how a group linked to Osama Bin Laden had tried to buy missiles and nuclear weapons components, and he also worked on an exclusive report detailing an attempted 1994 terrorist attack in France. His series on the lack of security at airports resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration opening an investigation and ultimately revising its policies.[3]
Awards
Hansen has received seven Emmy Awards, four Edward Murrow awards, three Clarion awards, the Overseas Press club award, an IRE, the National Press Club award, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Award; as well as awards for excellence from the Associated Press and United Press International.
Personal life
Hansen was born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up in northern Detroit suburbs of West Bloomfield and Birmingham. In an interview with the Lansing City Pulse, Hansen said that watching the FBI and police investigate the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa when he was fourteen inspired him to want to become a journalist.[4] He graduated from Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications.[3][4]
He is married to Mary Joan Hansen; the couple has two sons. The family resides in Connecticut.[3]
References
- ↑ "Chris Hansen - Dateline NBC - About Us - msnbc.com". msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
- ↑ "Chris Hansen". www.nndb.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Chris Hansen: Correspondent, "Dateline NBC"". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 McNamara, Neal (April 15, 2009). "News maker Chris Hansen". Lansing City Pulse. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
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