- In full:
- Constance Yu-Hwa Chung
- Born:
- August 20, 1946, Washington, D.C., U.S. (age 80)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Maury Povich
Connie Chung
-
Who is Connie Chung?
Connie Chung (born August 20, 1946) is an American broadcast journalist known for breaking gender barriers in the late 20th century. She became one of the first women reporters on national television in the United States and the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast.
Chung began her career at a Washington, D.C., television station and joined CBS in 1971. She worked with Walter Cronkite, reporting national news. In 1989, she returned to CBS to anchor her own show, Saturday Night with Connie Chung. In 1993, Chung anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, becoming the second woman and first person of Asian descent to anchor a major American network news program.
Among her many honors, Chung has received three Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast journalism. In 2024, she released her memoir, Connie, where she discusses her career and personal life.
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What is Connie Chung known for in journalism?
Connie Chung is an American broadcast journalist known for breaking gender barriers as one of the first women reporters on national television in the U.S. and the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast.
Chung's career began in Washington, D.C., before she joined CBS in 1971, working with Walter Cronkite. She gained fame at NBC in 1983 as a network news anchor and host of prime-time specials. In 1989, Chung returned to CBS to anchor Saturday Night with Connie Chung. In 1993, she co-anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, and hosted Eye to Eye with Connie Chung. Chung has secured exclusive interviews with figures like Richard Nixon and the captain of the Exxon Valdez. In 2024, Chung released a memoir, Connie, chronicling her career.
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What major television networks has Connie Chung worked for?
Connie Chung has worked for several major television networks throughout her career. She began at CBS in 1971 before moving to Los Angeles to anchor a local television news show in 1976. In 1983, Chung joined NBC, gaining recognition as a network news anchor and host of prime-time specials.
Chung returned to CBS in 1989, anchoring Saturday Night with Connie Chung, and in 1993, she co-anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. By 1997, she was reporting for various ABC programs, including 20/20 and Good Morning America. In the 21st century, Chung anchored Connie Chung Tonight on CNN.
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What are some important news stories or interviews that Connie Chung has covered?
Connie Chung is an American broadcast journalist known for breaking gender barriers as one of the first women reporters on national television. She was also the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast.
Chung secured exclusive interviews with prominent figures, including U.S. President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal and the captain of the Exxon Valdez tanker responsible for the major oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1989. In 1993, Chung anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, becoming the second woman and first person of Asian descent to anchor a major American network news program. In 2002 and 2003, she anchored Connie Chung Tonight, a show on CNN.
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Why is Connie Chung considered a pioneer for Asian Americans in news media?
Connie Chung is considered a pioneer for Asian Americans in news media because she was the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast. Chung's career began in Washington, D.C., and included work with Walter Cronkite at CBS.
Chung gained prominence as a network news anchor and host at NBC in 1983. In 1993, she co-anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, becoming the first person of Asian descent to anchor a major American network news program and only the second woman after Barbara Walters to achieve this role. In this way, Chung helped break down gender barriers to become one of the first women reporters on national television.
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How has Connie Chung influenced television journalism in the United States?
Connie Chung is an American broadcast journalist who helped break down gender barriers in the late 20th century, becoming one of the first women reporters on national television in the United States and the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast.
Chung began her career at a television station in Washington, D.C., and joined CBS in 1971. In 1989, she began anchoring her own show, Saturday Night with Connie Chung. In 1993, she anchored CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, becoming only the second woman and first person of Asian descent to anchor a major American network news program. Over the course of her career, Chung received many honors, including three Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast journalism.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Connie Chung (born August 20, 1946, Washington, D.C., U.S.) is an American broadcast journalist who helped break down gender barriers in the late 20th century to become one of the first woman reporters on national television in the United States. She was also the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast. Among the many exclusive interviews she secured were those of U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal and of the captain of the Exxon Valdez tanker that caused a major oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1989.
Early life and education
Chung is the youngest of 10 children, five of whom died during World War II. The year before she was born, her parents and siblings had immigrated to the United States from China, where her father had been a diplomat. Chung grew up in Maryland, in a suburb of Washington, D.C., and later enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park, to study biology. She was inspired to become a reporter, however, after serving an internship for a congressman who had been a journalist. Chung switched majors and graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Career in journalism
Chung began her career at a television station in Washington, D.C., working as a copywriter and later as a reporter. She joined CBS in 1971, where she worked with Walter Cronkite reporting national news. In 1976 she moved to Los Angeles, where she anchored a local television news show. Chung took a job with NBC in 1983 and quickly gained fame as both a network news anchor and a host of various prime-time specials. In 1989 she returned to CBS and began anchoring her own show, Saturday Night with Connie Chung.
In 1990, shortly after launching her television newsmagazine Face to Face with Connie Chung, Chung decided to reduce her workload in order to concentrate on having a baby with American talk-show host Maury Povich, whom she had married in 1984. They ultimately adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich, in 1995, and he later became a professor of physics and astronomy at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.
Chung returned to television full time in 1993, anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. She was only the second woman, after Barbara Walters, and the first person of Asian descent to anchor a major American network news program. Chung also hosted the newsmagazine Eye to Eye with Connie Chung on CBS, but she parted ways with the network in 1995. By 1997 Chung had secured a job reporting with various ABC programs, including the newsmagazine 20/20 and the talk show Good Morning America.
21st-century projects
Chung continued to appear on television in the 21st century. In 2002 and 2003 she anchored Connie Chung Tonight, a show on CNN, and in 2006 she starred with Povich in Weekends with Maury & Connie. The following year the pair launched the Flathead Beacon, a local newspaper based in the Flathead Valley of Montana, where they own a house. In 2024 Chung released the memoir Connie, in which she described the highs and lows of her career—which, she alleged was hampered by pervasive sexism—and offered a candid look at her personal life.
Recognition
Over the course of her career, Chung received many honors. They included three Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast journalism.
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