People: Chris Hansen
DATELINE AMERICA
Although controversy has surrounded Dateline, such as the recent O.J. Simpson attempted interview, the NBC newsmagazine has nonetheless provided some of the best investigative journalism on the national scene. Some of that success must be credited to Chris Hansen, '81, who joined the Dateline team in 1993.
'I love it,' says Hansen, a former anchor and investigative reporter at Detroit's WDIV-TV (Channel 4), and a reporter at Detroit's WXYZ-TV (Channel 7). 'There are few jobs where you get paid to pursue fascinating stories and tell the world about it.'
Among these fascinating national stories, Chris has covered a the bombing in Oklahoma City, the Unabomber story, Medicare fraud, the safety of lifted trucks, and the hidden dangers of escalators. Though he lives in Connecticut with wife Mary Joan and two sons, Chris travels quite a bit from coast to coast. 'During one stretch,' he recalls, 'I was in Richmond, VA, one day, went to Brooklyn, then Miami for two days, then Washington DC, then Idaho for two days, and then Chicago.'
Stability might occur when a truly major story unfolds, such as the Oklahoma City bombing. Chris was there for two weeks and actually broke several stories related to the case.
Despite his peripatetic career, Chris remembers MSU 'with great fondness,' he says. 'MSU was fabulous. I chose MSU over UM. I got a great education and a great social experience.'
He worked on the campus radio station and as a sportswriter for the State News, then worked for local stations throughout the state, winning AP and UPI awards as well as Emmy nominations. While in Detroit, where he broke the notorious Chambers gang story, he was named 'Best TV Reporter' by Detroit Monthly.
Despite his familiarity with TV, Chris confesses to lacking one item--a portable satellite dish with which to keep up with MSU's resurgent football program.