The Other Koppel

Hotline’s Friday Feature today honors one of those celebrating her network’s silver anniversary this week: CNN’s State Department Correspondent Andrea “Son of Ted” Koppel.

She’s been with CNN for a dozen years (for you bad at math, that would be nearly half of the network’s life), and has served as Beijing bureau chief and as a Tokyo-based correspondent–good beats considering she’s fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Answering the standard Friday questions, she explains that while her first paying gig was digging dandelion weeds from her parents’ garden for a quarter a bushel, the first job on her CV was as a Trade Representative working for Kamsky Associates in Beijing, China.

Her most embarrassing moment? “I was working as a correspondent for CNN in Tokyo, Japan. It was a chilly day in 1994 and my producer and I were out with our crew shooting a standup on in downtown Tokyo. I had a wireless microphone on and forgot that I had it on under my coat when my producer started asking me very personal questions about subjects that let’s just say — were extremely private and not meant for public consumption. Well, as it turns out my cameraman and soundman were filming about a block away at this time — and as a result — my conversation was also recorded on the tape! And to make matters even worse — the soundman had heard the entire conversation!!”

She’d like to interview Jesus Christ “to learn more from him about the gift of unquestioning faith.”

Her favorite vacation spot would probably be Bali, Indonesia, or perhaps Sardinia’s beaches or Italy’s food. Speaking of Italian, her last meal would be homemade pasta with meatballs and garlic bread, probably with some chewy brownies for dessert.

And lastly, in answer to Fishbowl’s Friday Feature question last week (“If you had to be stuck on a desert island with one senator and one member of the press corps, who would they be and why?) she answers: “Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and my dad, Ted Koppel of ABC News. If we’re stuck on a desert island then Senator Biden would surely provide endless entertainment as someone who is known to never be at a loss for words. As for why I’d want my dad there?? He’s one of the funniest, most interesting, thoughtful and resourceful people I know … besides, I love him, and would want him to suffer with me!!”

Editor’s Note: In honor of this week’s kerfuffle over the President not calling on women at his press conference, this post completes Fishbowl’s All-Women Journalist Day. Granted, it was largely unwitting, but hey, it worked out.

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