Anchors
Laura Diaz
For Laura Diaz, it is the relentless pursuit of the facts and emotions behind a story that fuels her passion to serve the viewers of Southern California. While continuing as a steady presence as co-anchor of CBS 2's 5pm and 11pm broadcasts since 2002, her career is evolving as she also pursues the most gritty and memorable stories in Southern California
For example, Ms. Diaz has reported first hand on the inspirational story of Kristina Ripatti, the LAPD officer shot in the line of duty and paralyzed from her chest down. Laura reported the stunning news of Kristina's pregnancy, and was inside the hospital room a few months later as Kristina was preparing to give birth to a baby boy. And she continues to follow Kristina's progress, reporting stories such as the former officer competing in the 2009 Boston Marathon. One day Laura hopes to be on hand as Kristina attempts to walk again.
Her story about Billy Queen, a federal agent who went undercover to bust up a murderous motorcycle gang, was awarded an Emmy and a Golden Mike. She also confronted an angry gang member for a story on "Emotional Gangs," a new kind of street gang that spreads hate between African Americans and Latinos in Los Angeles. It is stories such as these that have helped Laura transform into an even more passionate reporter, producer and storyteller.
Ms. Diaz' journalistic interests extend far beyond the typical news story. She has won awards for a wide range of stories, from entertainment to politics to medicine. Ms. Diaz is a fourteen time Emmy Award winner, including one in 2006 for Individual Achievement in Feature Reporting. Ms. Diaz also won back to back Golden Mike Awards in 2005 and 2006 for best feature reporting. In June 2005, she landed the first in depth television interview with incoming Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. That story earned her a national "Imagen Award" in 2006.
A true local success story, Ms. Diaz is a Southern California native and first generation Mexican American. She has forged a strong bond with the Southland's Latino community. Ms. Diaz was born in Santa Paula, California where her parents labored in the fields. When Laura was four years old her family moved off the farm workers camp to Santa Clarita in northern L.A. County where she was raised. She graduated from William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
After brief reporting assignments in San Luis Obispo and Fresno fresh out of college, Laura returned home to Southern California. She has worked here ever since, becoming a full time anchor at KABC-TV in 1989.
In 1997, she became part of Los Angeles television history when she was appointed lead female anchor for the station's centerpiece 5PM and 11PM newscasts. That assignment made her the first Hispanic to ever hold that prestigious position at a Southland TV station. While at KABC-TV, Laura covered many historic and compelling stories, including the Northridge earthquake and the Los Angeles riots, where she and her camera crew were threatened at gunpoint.
Her travels for CBS 2 have taken her from the hallowed Ground Zero site in New York, to the rugged Mexican border town of Sasabe for a story on illegal immigration. She has also traveled to the maximum security Calipatria State Men's Prison near the Salton Sea for an exclusive report on prison overcrowding, and to San Francisco to interview superstar musician Carlos Santana.
In 2003, Ms. Diaz received the L.A. Press Club's highest honor, the "Joseph M. Quinn Award" for journalistic excellence and distinction. It represents a milestone in her career.
Ms. Diaz sits on the advisory board of trustees of "The Joyful Child Foundation." The foundation was started by children's advocate Erin Runnion. Laura's commitment to this cause grew from her extensive coverage of the murder of Erin's daughter, Samantha, by a sexual predator in 2002. The foundation works to organize neighborhood watches around the country and keep child predators off the streets.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys running, weight training, rooting for the Angels and the Lakers and spending time with her large extended family.
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