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Karen Swensen
Karen Swensen

Karen Swensen Biography

Karen Swensen is an accomplished journalist with five Emmy Awards under her belt. She used to be the anchor for Eyewitness News on WWL-TV in New Orleans, where she delivered the news at 5 and 6 p.m. In addition to her Emmys, she has received several Gracie and Gabriel Awards, along with accolades from the Associated Press and the Press Club. In 2012, she was honored to be the first grand marshal of the Krewe of Nyx, which has since grown into the largest parade in Mardi Gras history after just six years.

Karen Swensen WWL TV

Karen Swensen is an accomplished journalist with five Emmy Awards under her belt. She used to be the anchor for Eyewitness News on WWL-TV in New Orleans, where she delivered the news at 5 and 6 p.m. In addition to her Emmys, she has received several Gracie and Gabriel Awards, along with accolades from the Associated Press and the Press Club. In 2012, she was honored to be the first grand marshal of the Krewe of Nyx, which has since grown into the largest parade in Mardi Gras history after just six years..

Karen Swensen Career

Between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m., Swensen hosts Eyewitness News on WWL-TV in New Orleans. She is a five-time Emmy Award winner who has reported on everything from Hurricane Katrina’s long-term consequences to Pope Francis’ visit to the United States to municipal and state politics, including moderating governor, Senate, and mayoral debates in New Orleans. Karen has won six Edward R. Murrow regional awards for investigative journalism, writing, and feature reporting, as well as multiple Gracie and Gabriel Awards, Associated Press and Press Club Awards, and the New Orleans Press Club Award for Best Broadcast Writing. The readers of New York’s Gambit newspaper also voted her “Best Anchor.”

Karen was the only female anchor at WWL who was in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. For their nonstop coverage of Hurricane Katrina, WWL-TV won the George Foster Peabody Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and the DuPont-Columbia Award. Karen also spent almost five years as a morning anchor for NECN in Boston. While she was there, Karen made and produced a number of films, including “Katrina: A Flood of Tears,” which screened at Harvard University and was followed by a panel discussion on the event.

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Karen is the originator and inventor of “Life’s About Change,” a seasonal t-shirt line with a character named Delta whose motto encourages people to accept change. She has donated the entire sum, approximately $20,000, to cancer research and remains motivated to find a cure in honor of her late husband, John, who was the love of her life.

Karen Swensen Age

How old is Karen? Apparently, information about her age has not been disclosed. She likes to keep her personal life private hence has not yet disclosed the year and month she was born. It is therefore not known when she celebrates her birthday.

Karen Swensen Education

Penn State University Phi Beta Kappa awarded her an Honors degree in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. Karen also holds a master’s degree in journalism from the same institution. In 2017, Karen was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Holy Cross. She also obtained a fellowship from the Institute of Politics at Loyola University in New Orleans.

Karen Swensen Nationality | Ethnicity

What ethnicity is Karen? She belongs to the White ethnicity/heritage. Karen was born and raised in New York, in the United States, she holds American nationality and citizenship by birth.

Karen Swensen Height

Karen is of medium height and weighs in at a healthy weight. If her images, taken in relation to her surroundings, offer any indication, she is rather tall. However, information on her exact height and other bodily measurements is still unavailable. We’re keeping an eye on things and will update this post whenever more information becomes available.

Karen Swensen Family | Siblings | Parents

Karen was born and raised in New York, in the United States. She has managed to keep her personal life away from the limelight hence she has not disclosed any information about her parents. It is also not known if she has any siblings.

Karen Swensen Husband | Married

John Patrick Ronquillo, her late husband, was her partner. He died of cancer on September 4, 2018, at the age of 64. His ancestors can be traced back to the 1700s in New Orleans, where he was born. The couple married and celebrated their wedding in St. Louis Cathedral, surrounded by their family and friends. Karen and John went on to produce a son named Matthew and a daughter named Catherine.

Karen Swensen Salary

How much does Karen earn? Karen earns an annual salary ranging between $90,000 – $ 110,500.

Karen Swensen Net Worth

Karen has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which she has earned through being a journalist.

Karen Swensen Awards

She has earned a number of accolades, including six Edward R. Murrow regional awards for investigative journalism, writing, and feature reporting; two regional Emmys; and Associated Press and Press Club of New Orleans awards (including the Jim Metcalf Memorial Award for best broadcast writing), among others. She was part of the WWL-TV team that covered Hurricane Katrina, earning the station the George Foster Peabody, Edward R. Murrow, and DuPont-Columbia awards.