Mabrey, Vicki 1957(?)–

views updated

Vicki Mabrey 1957(?)

Television journalist

At a Glance

To London and Beyond

Sources

Vicki Mabrey may have been the fresh face on one of televisions most talked-about news-magazine programs, but she earned her job as anchor-woman the hard wayby reporting standoffs and shootouts, floods, and internationally newsworthy events. The veteran journalist had the knack for being in the right place at the right time, leading to her coverage of some of the worlds biggest news stories. When the spinoff of the legendary television news magazine 60 Minutes, entitled 60 Minutes II, debuted in 1999, Mabrey became the first African American woman to introduce herself as the shows trademark stopwatch began its 60-minute countdown.

The daughter of Barbara, a teacher, and Harold, a former civilian Army procurement officer, Mabrey is the oldest of three children. She also has two younger brothers, Lesley and Kevin. At the age of eight, Mabrey moved with her family from an inner-city neighborhood to Florissant, Missouri, then an all-white suburb of St. Louis. Instead of a welcoming committee, the Mabreys were greeted with a painted sign on their sidewalk that read, White is right. Mabrey was also the first African American student to integrate the local elementary school. By the time she was a senior in high school, more African Americans had moved into the town, and the McCluer High School student body contained students of both races.

Mabrey graduated cum laude with a degree in political science from Howard University in 1977. Within four years, she had gotten married and moved to Baltimore. Mabrey found work as a real estate marketer, but quickly changed careers when she saw a college classmate working in local television news. Mabrey convinced the local CBS affiliate to give her a job, and went through the AFTRA reporter training program at WUSA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. In 1983, the station hired her as a production assistant. I think of the opportunities my grandparents didnt have, Mabrey told Essence, and I have to grab every one. Within a year, she was working as an on-air general assignment reporter. She later became a Dallas-based correspondent for CBS News.

Mabreys placement in Dallas marked the beginning of her success in journalism. In 1993, she received a tip that something was going to happen near Waco, Texas. Mabrey traveled to Waco, and covered the standoff between federal agents and Branch Davidian cult members. During a 55 day span, she provided

At a Glance

Born c. 1957 in St. Louis, MO; married and divorced; Education: Howard University, B.A. in political science, cum laude, 1977,

Career: Real estate marketer, Baltimore, MD, 1981-83; production assistant, WBAL-TV, Baltimore, 1983-84; general assignment reporter, WBAL-TV, Baltimore, 1984-92; Dallas-based correspondent, CBS News, Dallas, 1992-95; correspondent, CBS News, London, England 1995-98; correspondent, 60 Minutes 11/1999-.

Awards: Emmy Award for coverage of the Atlanta Olympic bombing, 1996; Emmy Award for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800, 1996; two Emmy Awards for reporting for CBS News coverage of the death of Princess Diana, 1997.

Addresses: Office 60 Minutes II, 524 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

often continuous on-air developments in the standoff. Mabrey was also sent to cover the severe flooding that devastated parts of the Midwest in 1993. The following year, she traveled to Haiti to provide coverage of the landing of American troops there after dictator Raul Cedras fled the country. The troops had entered Haiti to monitor the countrys transition to a democratic government.

To London and Beyond

In 1995, a producer at CBS recommended Mabrey for a job at the networks London bureau. That year, CBS posted her in England as their London correspondent. In 1997, Mabrey covered the tragic car crash in Paris that killed Princess Diana. She won two Emmy awards for her coverage of the tragedy.

When CBS announced that it was producing a spin-off of its legendary news-magazine show 60 Minutes, applications for the new shows four resident correspondent spots quickly poured in. Mabrey e-mailed her request to 60 Minutes II executive producer Jeff Fager. Although she thought that her chances of landing a spot on the show were slim, she was offered a position on 60 Minutes II. Mabrey was elated. This is the job every broadcast journalist wants, she said in an interview with Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. However, she was saddened to learn that she would have to leave London and move to New York, where the show is taped. I know Ill shed many tears when I leave my little house in London, Mabrey said in the same interview.

Every broadcast journalist may have wanted the 60 Minutes II job, but Mabrey won it with her journalistic savvy and winning personality. Although she told People that Fager told her directly that she wasnt hired because she was African American, Im not naive enough to say race didnt play some part. Fager had his own reasons for hiring her. Shes warm, real, and you feel that as a viewer, he told People. Although Mabrey has a warm personality, she is not afraid to tackle difficult issues. On the debut edition of 60 Minutes II, Mabrey presented a report about children who died after receiving anesthesia at a dentists office. A few weeks later, she offered a critical report about the controversial diet drug fen-phen. Shes not afraid to jump right into something, Fager commented in People.

Before 60 Minutes II debuted, many network veterans resisted the idea of a spin-off of CBS venerable news-magazine show 60 Minutes. Although the 60 Minutes II team consisted of well respected journalists, some critics refused to accept the new show. Lawrie Mifflin, writing in the New York Times, defended 60 Minutes II and remarked that there is nothing second-string about the on-air team assembled for the latest CBS News magazine program. The show received favorable reviews, and eventually attracted a loyal following of viewers. Even though People criticized a few of the shows flawsciting Mabrey for unnecessarily ambushing a dentist in the first showthe magazine called 60 Minutes II, overall, a winner.

Compared to her fellow correspondents on 60 Minutes IIDan Rather, Bob Simon, and Charlie RoseMabrey was the shows fresh face, as Fager told the New York Times. However, she credits her lack of recognition as an advantage. While most of the senior correspondents at CBS have worked their way up through the CBS ranks, as Mabrey did, No one really knows me.Jm not coming in dragging a reputation I have to uphold, she told Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service.

Sources

Periodicals

Essence, April 2000, p. 80.

Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, January 6, 1999.

New York Times, November 11, 1998.

People, March 1, 1999, p. 25; p.115.

Other

Additional information for this profile was obtained from CBS News Online at http://cbsnews.cbs.com (June 16, 2000).

Brenna Sanchez

More From encyclopedia.com