Courtney Hazlett
| Courtney Hazlett | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1976 |
| Education | Tulane University, 1999; Columbia University, 2005 |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Title | Writer: The Scoop |
Courtney Brooke Hazlett is a columnist and Celebrity Correspondent for todayshow.com, the official site for NBC's The Today Show. She is the author of "The Scoop" blog and column, featured on the todayshow.com, msnbc.com, and Newsvine websites. Hazlett also provides on-air commentary for The Today Show and MSNBC programs.[1]
Biography
Early life
Hazlett, a native of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, is a 1995 graduate of Franklin Regional High School. She received a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1999 from Tulane University, and earned a M.S. in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2005.[1]
Career
After graduating from Tulane, Hazlett held editorial positions at Boating magazine and Yachting magazine, where she rose to the position of senior editor.[2] After enrolling in Columbia's graduate journalism program, she was employed as a reporter at TheSmokingGun.com, People Magazine, and OK! Magazine.[3] She was also employed by Golf World magazine at one point.[4] While at OK! Magazine, she began appearing as a guest correspondent on CNN and MSNBC, where she became a mainstay on the Joe Scarborough-hosted programs Scarborough Country and Morning Joe.
In October 2007, Hazlett left OK! to take over "The Scoop" column on msnbc.com,[1][3] replacing Jeannette Walls.[5] The column features entertainment-news items, culled from original reporting and other media sources. It also features reviews and plugs for movies, TV shows, and other media productions that Hazlett considers noteworthy. Her first column was published on October 29, 2007.
On April 25, 2010, the column was formally moved to todayshow.com, although it still continues to appear on the MSNBC website. On August 12, 2010, it was converted from a daily-column format to a weekday blog, with multiple entries per day.
Hazlett frequently appears on MSNBC and The Today Show as an entertainment correspondent. She is currently a regular on Tamron Hall's 2PM hour on MSNBC Live. A L'Oréal-sponsored segment discussing her latest "The Scoop" column was a regular feature on MSNBC's Morning Joe from October 2007 through July 2009, when the program abruptly discontinued it. No official explanation was given for Hazlett being dropped from the show, and L'Oréal's sponsored ad spots continued for several weeks afterward.
Hazlett was the substitute host for The Ron Reagan Show on Air America Radio during the week of June 1, 2009. She also occasionally appeared on the program to discuss entertainment news.
On September 8, 2011 Hazlett publicly announced that she was expecting a baby. She did not name the father, however according to her Facebook page, she is in a relationship with Steven Marrs, president of Branded Pictures.[6]
On January 12, 2012, Hazlett gave birth to a daughter, Sawyer Ruth.[7]
Controversies
The January 21, 2008 edition of Morning Joe featured a segment with Hazlett and program co-host Willie Geist in which Hazlett misrepresented Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour's "Letter from the Editor" column in the magazine's February 2008 issue. The column discussed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's decision to pull out of a scheduled photo shoot for the magazine. Wintour criticized the Washington Post for contributing to an atmosphere that derided any display of femininity by Clinton, which was what led Clinton to withdraw. However, Hazlett deleted two key sentences from the column while she read from it on the air, giving the erroneous impression that Wintour was attacking Clinton instead of the newspaper. At the segment's close, Hazlett ironically said, "I'm not going to dis Anna Wintour."[8]
On May 1, 2008, Hazlett's "The Scoop" column for April 30 was removed from the msnbc.com Web site, with an official retraction notice issued. The column suggested without basis that disgraced memoirist James Frey had lied in a Vanity Fair article about an encounter with author Norman Mailer. It also erroneously stated that Frey lied in the article about seeing an advance version of TheSmokingGun.com report that ultimately ruined his reputation. Complaints from Frey's publicists led to the column being withdrawn.[9]
During Hazlett's appearance on the June 6, 2008 edition of Morning Joe, she reported on a public confrontation at the Cannes Film Festival between filmmakers Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood. She characterized the behavior of Lee, who is African-American, as "uppity," a term that that many feel carries racist connotations. Hazlett apologized to Lee and MSNBC viewers in a written statement later that day.[10]
In January 2009, Hazlett drew flak for criticizing Frozen River, an indie film that she claimed would not draw ratings for the Oscars and calling fans of the film "effete."[11]
Criticism
Danny Shea of the Huffington Post has criticized Hazlett's work on "The Scoop" as "generally a mishmash of other people's day-old reporting couched as her own."[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08055/859383-42.stm
- ↑ http://www.lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat.com/2009/06/interview-with-courtney-hazlett.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21423650/ns/about_msnbccom-press_releases/
- ↑ "http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34185507/ns/sports-golf/
- ↑ http://scoop.msnbc.com
- ↑ http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=115979
- ↑ http://scoop.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/12/9773686-new-baby-girl-is-best-scoop-ever
- ↑ MSNBC: Morning Joe, January 21, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.observer.com/2008/frey-no-lies
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/06/courtney-hazlett-msnbc-ta_n_105652.html
- ↑ Mother Jones: Frozen River, Kevin Drum. January 22, 2009.
External links
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