Cokie Roberts

Cokie Roberts was born in New Orleans in 1943 to Hale Boggs, US Congressmen and later Democratic majority leader of the House of Representatives. Because of his career, Cokie and her siblings were required to live half of the year in Washington DC rather than their hometown. This allowed her to become familiar with all of the political buildings and prominent politicians of Washington DC. Cokie majored in political science at Wellesley College.

She worked for Altman Productions, a television production company, after graduation, hosting a regular Sunday afternoon public affairs program on local TV. After she met her husband, Steven Roberts, she quit her job and moved to New York City where her new husband reported for the New York Times. After finding difficult in her job search in the city because of her gender, Cokie and Steven moved to Los Angeles for Steven’s work and Cokie began the production of a children’s television program called “Serendipity.”

Hale Boggs, Cokie’s father, disappeared in 1972 when flying to Alaska to campaign. Lindy, Cokie’s mother, was encouraged to run in his place. She won and was in Congress for the next 20 years. During that time, the New York Times sent Cokie and Steven to Greece to report from abroad. Cokie reported occasionally for CBS radio and television. Rather than transferring the couple to Thailand, where they expected to be next, they were brought back to the Washington DC area. Cokie bought her childhood home from her parents.

Cokie was told about possible job opportunities at National Public Radio (NPR), who hired many women reporters. She was hired, and impressed the team on her first major assignment. Soon after she was sent to cover Congress, where she impressed NPR with her intimate understanding of the structure. She had family connections within the government, so important news would reach her first. Cokie was one of three women to start a union within NPR for better working conditions and pay. They achieved first a new headquarters for NPR, in a better building.

Roberts produced a show for PBS called “The Lawmakers” after public approval of her reporting on Congress caught the attention of the company. She worked with two other women on the show, making it the first show on television made up of an all-women news team. She transitioned to television well.

ABC News hired her for a better salary than NPR in 1988 to report for one show, occasionally host another, and to offer commentary on a third. She did all of this while still working as a senior news analyst for NPR. This brought her much respect because she was able to handle and excel in both jobs, without falling behind in either.