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Karen Swensen
Karen Swensen

Karen Swensen Biography

Karen Swensen is a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchors Eyewitness News on WWL-TV in New Orleans at 5 and 6 p.m. She’s also the recipient of a number of Gracie and Gabriel Awards, as well as Associated Press and Press Club Awards. Karen was named the inaugural grand marshal of the Krewe of Nyx in 2012. It had developed into the largest procession in Mardi Gras history after six years.

Karen Swensen WWL TV | Wikipedia

She worked at WWL-TV for the first time in 2005 and left in 2006. After departing for a morning anchor position, Karen returned to New England Cable News in Boston in 2010 as the channel’s 10 p.m. anchor and reporter. At the same time, Karen started working as a newscaster for WUPL-TV at 9 p.m. Karen and her subsequent husband relocated to New Orleans in early 2011 to replace Lucy Bustamante, who had moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where her husband was stationed, to assume an anchor position at WWL-sister TV’s station.

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 $40,000 – $ 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.