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AAPRC Weekly: Rene Syler

Rene Syler
Anchor
CBS' "The Early Show"
NYC

For CBS' "The Early Show" anchor Rene Syler, each day starts long before sunrise––around 3:40 a.m. to be exact. "Yes," she concedes, "it's pretty brutal…Honestly, though, the hours aren't that bad because once you're up you're up…Everybody asks about the amount of sleep we get. But like you and everybody else I get up in the morning and I'm tired just like you when you get up at 8:00."

Tired or not, Syler's in the car for her 40 minute commute to Manhattan by 4:00 a.m. At the CBS studios she heads straight for hair and make-up. "Because at that hour I need all the help I can get!" she laughs. In the chair, Syler finishes the morning papers, which she started during the car ride, and then it's back to her office for more reading or perhaps to review tapes of the previous evening's news magazines (which come on too late for her to watch). The program is broadcast from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Then Syler heads for promos and tries to hit the gym before heading home. The afternoons are devoted to her son and daughter and then it's back to work. By early evening her fax machine is humming with the news and information she needs to prepare for the next day's broadcast.

It's a non-stop kind of life, but Syler, a California girl-turned-Texan-turned-New Yorker, takes it all in stride. On the phone she is bubbly and relaxed, her conversation coming in spurts as she negotiates her young son's watering of the plants at their Westchester home. "It's interesting because it never really ends," says Syler of her working life. "You're always preparing for the next segment. You're always planning. You're always reading. You're always doing. I used to be a local news anchor and at the end of the broadcast I used to drive home with just an empty brain, practically. But it's not like that here. You're always working."

From all appearances, Syler has handled the transition from local to national anchor with her characteristic grace and ease, but the truth is, the newswoman and her family have negotiated a somewhat stomach-churning leap of faith.

Three years ago, when Syler got a call from her agent suggesting she interview for a spot on CBS' revamped morning show, she asked the agent if he was crazy. She was 39, which, in the world of broadcast news, usually means you're where you plan to stay or pretty darn close. Syler––not to mention Syler's husband––felt strongly that Dallas was where she meant to stay. She'd been a top anchor there for ten years, first at the ABC affiliate, WFAA-TV, and then at the CBS owned-and-operated KTVT-TV. Syler had carved out a place for herself in one of the nation's top ten news markets. She'd convinced her mother to relocate from San Antonio to be near her (Syler's father had passed away), and her only sister also lived in Dallas. To top it off, Syler and her husband had just spent a year building their dream home. Syler relocating anywhere was the last thing on anyone's mind. According to Syler her agent said, "Oh, Rene, just go talk to these people. It never hurts to talk."

Syler agreed, much to the distress of her husband, Buff, who had no interest in moving. "The night before I went up for that interview he and I stayed up until four o'clock in the morning arguing," Syler recalls.

In spite of the upheaval it caused at home, Syler flew to New York where she met with five CBS executives in a "teeny, tiny room," where they peppered her with questions for two hours. When it was over they said they'd call and Syler returned to Dallas. She didn't hear from the network for weeks, and in the meantime told her husband how disappointed she was that he couldn't be supportive of what could have been her big chance at a national news desk. "He was like, 'oh, I was wrong. You're right. I'm so sorry. If this ever happens again I will be there,'" Syler says. "And don't you know, no sooner had he said that…The very next day I get the call from CBS saying, 'Les Moonves is going to be in town tomorrow and we'd like you to come up and meet with him about this show.' And I thought: Oh. My. God."

By the end of that week, Syler had given two weeks notice and was packing for New York.

The move was exciting, but hardly without trepidation. "It was a huge risk to take this job," Syler admits. "My husband was saying, you know, what are we going to do? CBS has had a hard time in that time period. Why do you want to do this? I said, because if we turn it around, we're going to be heroes. And as it is the numbers have gone up…We've added something like 300,000 viewers. The thing is, it's a very slow project. Morning show viewers are very loyal and it's like trying to move a glacier. You keep chipping away at it."

Syler was a seasoned journalist who'd spent nearly two decades honing her news chops, but there were aspects of her new position that took some getting used to. For one thing, she was accustomed to reporting the news, not being the news. When she arrived, though, there was her picture in the New York Post in a story about the new "Early Show" anchors. Plus, the show weathered its share of criticism for its new four-anchor format. Then, there was all the help. "I was never used to having so many people who are there to help you succeed at doing your job," says Syler. "Always, in local news you do everything yourself."

In spite of the difficulties, Syler adjusted, and each day it gets easier. "For a long time I felt like I wasn't worthy of being here," she admits. "I kept thinking, oh my gosh, at some point they're going to realize their mistake and they're going to rescind this job offer. But the more I do it and the more I'm here the more I feel like I belong here."

In the end, she's a woman who simply enjoys her job, especially the wide swath of people she sits down with everyday. She has chatted with doctors on the cutting edge of unlocking the secrets of breast cancer (a cause close to her heart–-her mother is a survivor); the nation's top political figures like First Lady Laura Bush; and the endless parade of celebrities (one recent week included Goldie Hawn, Ashton Kutcher and Don Cheadle). "What other job could I have possibly had that I could meet all of these different types of people?" she asks.

And to think, if it wasn't for Liz Walker, Rene Syler wouldn't be having breakfast with three million people every morning. In 1986, Boston journalist Liz Walker was the nation's highest paid black anchorwoman. At the time, Rene Syler was a graduate student in psychology at California State University in Sacramento. She'd recently done some work on a suicide prevention hotline as part of a graduate project and was coming to the realization that a career in counseling might not be for her. When she read an article on Liz Walker, Syler thought, "I want to do that."

She dropped out of gradate school, took some journalism courses at a community college and got herself an internship at the Fox affiliate in Sacramento. Over six months she learned how to write for newscasts and how to shoot and edit videotape. She put together a resume tape and took a drive up to nearby Reno, where she dropped off tapes at two local television stations. One of them called her back.

Of that first job, there are two things Syler remembers most. One, her first live shot. She'd had to dash around editing the story herself, and when she took her seat in front of the newsroom camera realized she'd lost her script. There was no teleprompter. She had to ad lib something on the spot. "I was just mortified," she recalls. "It was awful."

Her second recollection is of surviving on $15,000 a year. "I was so poor that I used to keep a sack of potatoes in my desk drawer that I had for lunch every day," Syler laughs. "Back then I was not afraid of carbohydrates. I had a baked potato everyday. I would cook it in the microwave and put a packet of hot sauce on it."

After two years in Reno, Syler moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she reported and anchored for two years before the move to Dallas. What's next for a news anchor after a seat on a network morning show? Syler hasn't a clue. A talk show, she thinks, could be interesting, but generally speaking, she isn't in the habit of long-term planning.

Unless, of course, you're talking about the planting season. Her Westchester home sits on two-and-ahalf acres and Syler and her husband have invested in a greenhouse where the anchor spends a lot of her down time. Her green thumb tends to orchids as well as an array of vegetables all grown from seed. Besides her agricultural interest, Syler also enjoys combing local estate sales and flea markets. Her entire house, she points out, is filled with the fruits of her flea market excursions. "I wouldn't mind doing a show about flea market finds," she muses. "…I have this creative side but I don't have enough time to nurture it. I'd like to have more time to do that kind of thing. But we'll see what happens."

We've been in a fairly heavy news cycle since last year –– a Presidential election, war, the Asian tsunami, the economy, etc. What news story has captivated you most as a journalist?

I would say the tsunami in Southeast Asia because of the scope and magnitude of the death and destruction. One of the things I like most about my job is that we cover stories initially with broad strokes, but then we delve deeper into those stories and in the case of this story, looking at the human toll the tsunami took. The saying "a picture is worth a thousands words" is so true here. My co-anchor Harry Smith was on the ground for the aftermath and was able to put a magnifying glass on this incredible tragedy.

When CBS brought its morning show back in 2002, they also ushered in a four-anchor format. How do you think this choice impacts the way viewers receive information?

When "The Early Show" was re-launched in 2002, there were many people who asked how this show would be different. For the most part, the news and information we are giving our viewers is a lot alike, however, with the four-anchor team we broke the traditional mold and have brought a different dynamic to morning TV.

You came to your role on a national show after more than a decade anchoring local newscasts. Did the change in perspective impact the way you think about journalism and the role of newscasters?

The biggest difference is that when I was in local news we, of course, covered local stories. We had a responsibility to the community that we served to inform them about what is going on in their backyard. Now, that backyard is much bigger. We are reaching out to millions more people now who are interested in a wide range of stories and we have to work a little harder to connect with them.

Do you ever find Rene-the-private-citizen in conflict with Rene-the-journalist––particularly when it comes to objectivity?

No, but I will say that as a mother, it's hard not to think about my own children during some of the stories we cover and empathize with the people whose stories we tell.

Has there been an assignment/story that you're particularly proud of?

In October 2003 we broadcast a series during Breast Cancer Awareness Month that focused on my family's struggle with breast cancer and breast diseases. I had been diagnosed with a breast disease and I shared my story with the viewers. As a result, I was awarded a Gracie for Best Anchor. However, while the award was a tremendous honor, it meant more to me to hear from women who said that because of my story they got a mammogram. Today I continue to educate and raise awareness about breast cancer.

If you had to give broadcast journalism a grade on its handling of diversity in the newsroom, what would it be and why?

I've seen incredible strides made in newsrooms across the country. It will be great when this is no longer an issue.

What's your most important advice for dealing with conflict in the workplace involving race or gender?

My advice would be to always remember that so many conflicts arise from lack of knowledge and understanding.

As someone who gets a "big picture" perspective on American society, politics, etc.––about what are you most optimistic?

The world is not perfect and the reality is that there will always be stories that are more positive than others, but we try to bring our viewers a mix of hard news and lighter features.

Is there an issue or news story that you think hasn't gotten enough attention from news media?

No. We try to cover as many stories as possible as thoroughly as possible. Of course some stories do get more attention than others, but I think we have done a valiant job covering a wide range of stories that appeal to different people across the country and around the world.

Tell us one thing people might be surprised to know about you.

I am not that neat of a person! Although it's better now because I'm a wife and a mother, I'm still not very organized. I will also say that while I spend a lot of time in full hair and makeup, I am most comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt with no makeup at all!

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