Diann Burns

Diann Burns
Born September 29, 1956

Diann Burns (born September 29, 1956) is the first African-American woman to anchor the prime time news in Chicago and did so from 1985 to 2008, anchoring the 5pm, 6pm and 10pm news every weekday.

Contents

BIO

Career Outline

Diann Burns began her career as a print journalist in Cleveland Ohio for The Plain Dealer in the 1970s. In 1983, she joined NBC affiliated WCMH television as a general assignment reporter, where she was named anchor reporter in 1984. From 1985 until 2003, she was the 5pm & 10pm weekday news anchor at American Broadcasting Company (ABC) owned & operated WLS-TV Chicago, where she was Chicago's highest-paid television news personality before joining WBBM-TV in 2003 as the weekday 5pm, 6pm & 10pm news anchor, until leaving WBBM in 2008. WBBM is owned & operated by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System. (ABC) is owned & operated by The Walt Disney Company.

Most Dangerous Live Reports

  1. War-torn Somalia, where she was NOT embedded with US troops, but on her own. No makeup, no lighting, no running water.
  2. Reporting live just outside a house rigged with enough explosives to destroy the entire neighborhood—the bomb was part of a booby-trap left for rescuers and police responding to the body in a suicide.

Most Dramatic Live On-Camera Moments

  1. With Nelson Mandela during his first US tour after his release from 27 years in prison.
  2. Questioning the man who murdered the father of Michael Jordan.

Awards

Among Burns' many awards are 5 Emmys.

Volunteer Work & Philanthropy

Burns has awarded record scholarships for underprivileged students to go to college. She is the spokesperson for Pediatric Aids Chicago. Burns also works with "Girls in the Game", an organization that promotes fitness and health as a way to teach girls to persevere and gain confidence to careers. Burns also is active with the Ronald McDonald House, the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and The Support Group, an organization that assists high school students with school work and home life by providing tutoring and social services. Burns lends her time and talent to the benefit of numerous other causes, especially organizations that focus on children and education.

Education

Burns has an undergraduate degree in Politics and Mass Communications from Cleveland State University and a Masters degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

Family

Burns and her grade-school aged son reside in Chicago's Lincoln Park, see Chicago Tribune: "http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_10_60/ai_n14835532".

Film Credits

Burns appeared in several major motion pictures, playing herself, including:

Boss Episode 5 2011,

External links