Niagara Gazette

Features

July 22, 2008

CELEBRITIES: Kenmore's Blitzer on hunt for good scoop

Wolf Blitzer has covered most every major event that has taken place worldwide over the past 30-plus years, reporting with a fairness and accuracy that’s won him several awards and the respect of millions of news consumers.

There’s one thing, however, about which he can’t remain impartial.

“Sorry to hear that,” the Kenmore West High School graduate said when told by a reporter interviewing him that the reporter went to cross-town rival Kenmore East. “We used to say, ‘West is best, East is least.’ ”

Born in Germany, Blitzer’s family moved to north Buffalo when he was 1 year old, where they remained until moving to a home his father built at 81 Parkwood Ave. in Kenmore when Blitzer entered the second grade. They remained in the village throughout Blitzer’s youth, as he attended the former Washington Elementary and Kenmore Junior High School (now Kenmore Middle) before graduating from West in 1966.

Blitzer recalls spending many days as a child devouring the national and international sections of the Buffalo Evening News and Courier-Express. That desire led to his obtaining a history degree from the University at Buffalo and a masters in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.

So in what field did he get a job upon graduation? Journalism, of course.

Hired by the Reuters news service, Blitzer was sent to Tel Aviv, Israel, to cover the rising political tensions of the 1970s. He recalls having a tough time honing his craft, including one particular piece involving his writing about a transfer of bodies between Israeli and Egyptian forces across the Suez Canal.

“I thought it was a pretty good piece. My editor ripped it apart,” said Blitzer, who said his 1,000-word story was turned into a 25-word brief. “I just sort of fell into journalism. Even though I had never written for the college paper ... I discovered quickly that I liked it a lot. I wasn’t good at it, but I liked it a lot.”

Blitzer honed his craft covering politics in Washington, D.C., for The Jerusalem Post during the 1980s. In 1990, he shifted gears to broadcasting, becoming a military affairs correspondent for CNN. He covered White House affairs for several years until landing his own show in 2000, which he continues now as host of “The Situation Room.”

A lot of credit for his success, Blitzer said, should go to the Ken-Ton School District, which offered him a well-rounded education (in addition to academic pursuits, he was a football player and acted in school plays at West). Those people, as well as all Western New Yorkers, are what he most fondly recalls about his home — and what he tells outsiders about most often.

“My dad always said to me, ‘These people in Western New York are the best people in the world,’ and he was right,” he said. “The people are so wonderful, so generous and kind. My parents were welcomed with open arms.

“I don’t get back there enough, but I like to come back to Buffalo and see what’s going on.”



• Visit the Life in the Slow Lane blog to read an extended interview with Wolf Blitzer and about even more local celebrities Life in the Slow Lane

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Features
Featured Ads
House Ads
AP Video
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
Seasonal Content
Opinion
House Ads
Night & Day
Twitter News
Follow us on twitter
Follow me on Twitter
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Front page
Helium debate
Helium