Journalism alum Shanelle Kaul takes on new role as CBS News Correspondent

From New York to Washington D.C., follow along for a day in her shoes

By: Chloe Bard

March 28, 2023

Journalism alum Shanelle Kaul has stepped into a new role as a Correspondent with CBS News, where she is based in New York. Kaul has an impressive resume in the field of journalism – most recently at CP24, appearing on network shows like CTV News Channel, Your Morning and The Social.. As a correspondent for CBS News, she contributes to overnight newsgathering and breaking news coverage for the main network, CBS News Streaming and Newspath. The position is the first of its kind, supporting CBS’s goal of unifying the News and Stations division.

Step into the shoes of Shanelle and learn what a typical day as a CBS News Correspondent entails.

7:30 a.m.: Wake-up call

This morning, I’m heading to Washington D.C. to shoot a story for the network – so I skip hair and makeup for now, grab a coffee in the lobby, and take a cab to New York’s Penn Station.

On the left Kaul is pictured ready to leave her apartment with a beige suitcase.

Image on the right at Penn Station shows Kaul’s suitcase and white sneakers, with a sign pointing in the direction of the train.

9:00 a.m.: Travel to Washington, D.C.

I board a fast train from New York to the nation’s capital. On the way, I read the papers, catch up on emails, eavesdrop on the people sitting beside me – and prepare for the interview I’m doing later this afternoon.

On a table in front of her seat on the train, Kaul’s laptop is open to an article by The New York Times.

View of Kaul’s laptop set-up en route to Washington D.C. via fast train. Image courtesy of Shanelle Kaul

12:00 p.m.: Arrive in Washington D.C.

I arrive in Washington, D.C. around noon. I exit Union Station and see Capitol Hill straight in front of me. I take a minute to look around and appreciate the moment (we made it to D.C. baby!) – and then I remember that I have actual work to do here, so I call a car to take me to the hotel.

I check into my room, steam my suit and get dressed for my shoot!

Kaul’s green suit is laid on her hotel bed, with a view out the window in the background.

In the next image Kaul is smiling in the mirror, dressed in her green suit for her interview.

3:00 p.m.: Shoot the interview

Today, we’re shooting inside this historic home in Georgetown. The crew arrives on location around 3:00 p.m. to set up. We walk around the property together to figure out where it makes the most sense to shoot. Eventually, we settle on this space because it has really great natural light:

A wide studio filled with filming and lighting equipment and lots of natural light

Setting up the set prior to a Kaul conducting an interview. Image courtesy of Shanelle Kaul

While the crew is hard at work setting up, I chat with the woman I’m about to interview. It’s a sensitive subject, and I want to make sure she feels comfortable and safe – so I offer to answer any questions she might have before we get started.

By about 4:30 p.m., the crew is ready – so we get mic’d up and begin the interview. My producer and I have already chatted about a direction for this interview – but I’m keeping an ear open for anything new and newsworthy that may come up.

Kaul is seated opposite the woman she is interviewing. She wears a green blazer and white top, with a small microphone attached.

Screen grab from Kaul’s interview. Image courtesy of Shanelle Kaul

Once we’re finished, I thank my guest for sharing her story with me – and the crew for making us look and sound our best!

While our crew tears down and packs up all the gear, my producer and I debrief about the interview, and review our plan for tomorrow’s shoot.

6:30 p.m.: Dinner

I make it back to the hotel sometime after 6:00 p.m., immediately change into comfy clothes and treat myself to my first meal of the day at the hotel restaurant. I scarf down these steak frites while reading Elaine Welteroth’s latest offering: More than Enough.

Kaul’s dinner of steak frites in the hotel restaurant.

Steak frites at the hotel restaurant after a long day. Image courtesy of Shanelle Kaul

8:00 p.m.: A litttttttle more work stuff

After dinner, I spend about half an hour catching up on emails and texts. I review my notes for tomorrow’s shoots, and steam my clothes for the next day while season three of Friends plays on the TV.

9:00 p.m.: And now, we sleep!

I think this is the part where you want to know if I have any magic tricks that get me to fall asleep faster. The truth is, my actual superpower is that I’m an easy sleeper (I’ve fallen asleep standing up on the subway before, don’t recommend) but on this particular night (and probably because we shot the first third of a story today) my mind is dancing and I’m thinking of how the pieces of this story puzzle are going to fit together. So – I put on an eye mask and listen to a bedtime meditation on my phone so I can be well-rested for another big day of shooting tomorrow!

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