A beloved member of CNN, who has spent over forty years covering worldwide stories for them spoke to Journalism students at Morton West. On November 20, 2023, Mark Biello visited Morton West to talk to some of the journalism students about his worldwide experience at CNN. The experience was unlike any other, one that you had to jump at because it was just that exciting. Biello was happy to answer many questions during his visit and even shared some stories students never thought they’d hear.
Biello is originally from Broadview and attended Proviso East High School. From there, he went to Columbia College in Chicago and planned to remain in Chicago after schooling was done. However, someone reached out to him about a job opening at a new broadcast company in Atlanta, and Biello recalls, “The next thing I knew I was in Atlanta to interview.” After being with CNN for some time, Biello found he had a strong passion for camera work, journalism, and reporting. Being able to go to new and crazy places around the world drew him in; Biello still finds covering events very exciting today as there is always something new to cover.
Biello indicated the assignments he is sent to vary in length, “They could be to 3 weeks, that can quickly turn into 7 to 8 weeks or even months. I was in Ethiopia for three months to cover a story.”. Biello mentioned that the crews can pitch ideas of stories to cover if they feel strongly about something, as they make the case for the story and provide an angle. There are tons of stories to cover, Biello himself, has never refused a story. Each story he covers is handled with the same care and proper attention, not one topic is treated differently than the other. Biello has covered a variety of stories, but they’re not all easy topics. One of the more difficult stories for Biello covering uprisings that took place in Africa. During his time there, Biello called this assignment a scary time as he almost got shot during filming.
There is a lot of time and effort that goes into this line of work. Biello thoroughly enjoys his time at CNN. “I always say I’ll leave after this year, and I never do.” He does deal with heavy emotional strain from some of the events he has covered, such as receiving counseling after the events of Hurricane Katrina. Biello is always well-prepped for an assignment and has multiple travel kits made at home for easy access to emergencies such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Biello leaves off with some inspiring words. To be a journalist is to be curious. Never be afraid of that, encouraging the students to ask questions that you want answers to and explore new aspects of life. It is also important to have a mentor. “The best mentors are the ones who will correct your mistakes.”
Before meeting with the students at Morton West, Biello received a call from CNN assigning him to cover the funeral of Mrs. Roselyn Carter in Georgia. Biello’s bags were packed and he was leaving in two day to cover the event.
