Les Rose is thrilled to be a photojournalist for the CBS News bureau in Los Angeles. His television career started in 1978…a good year for King Tut, The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You”, and film cameras. Prior to joining the L.A. bureau in 1997, Les worked 13 years at KCBS and from 1984-1986 he was with NBC News, Miami as a freelancer. He has also shot for WFLA (Tampa), KTVI (St. Louis), and WTSP (St. Petersburg).
His assignments are for The CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, and The CBS Early Show. For almost 6 years he was the photojournalist for the “Everybody Has a Story” series with Steve Hartman, and together they produced more than 125 stories…all at the whim of a dart and a random pick from the phonebook. Honest! They are currently working together on the “Assignment America” series whenever Steve is west of the Rockies.
Les’ awards include a Murrow and a DuPont with Steve Hartman, nine local Emmys, and a big bunch of others that made for a nice evening out…and a tuxedo to return the next morning. His greatest award is the friends he has made and things he…and his viewers…have learned along the way. He simply cannot believe they pay him to do exactly what he wants to do!
But Les will be quick to say that he is far more proud of his family and friends’ accomplishments. Especially his two young sons. Most of all, he’ll tell you that in the end, it is all about real moments in a story and someone saying, “that was a good story” and not “that was a cool shot.” Les believes “It’s about the story, subjects and viewers, not us. It’s also about being a human being in the process.” He also firmly believes we are here on earth to make it a better place. Really, he does. That’s why he went into journalism. Ok, so he failed Organic Chemistry miserably so being a veterinarian was out of the question.
Major stories that Les has been involved with include, 9/11 in Shankesville, Pennsylvania and then NYC, the Cerritos Air disaster, the Civil Wars of Nicaragua and El Salvador for NBC News, the Northridge Earthquake, the Nagano Olympics, a hostage release in Wiesbaden, West Germany, the Malibu Fires, political conventions, multiple hurricanes, Oscars, Emmys, major sports events and countless celebrity interviews (and trials), including O.J. Simpson (including Las Vegas!) and Michael Jackson.
Les has a profound love for teaching and is a frequent lecturer. A partial list of his key notes and workshops include: The Poynter Institute, the N.P.P.A., the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters, Global Television in Calgary and Edmonton, Icelandic State Television, the University of South Florida, F.S.P.A., WTSP-TV, WPBF-TV, the IRE, the RTNDA with Al Tompkins, the Student Television Network, the Broward Teen Network, and the Missouri, New Mexico, West Virginia, and NATOA Broadcasters. Les is also the NPPA TV Critique Chair so send him a tape anytime!
Finally, a word of caution: if he opens his wallet…it’s not to give you money. He’s got everything in his wallet BUT money. It will be to show you pictures of his two boys, which he could NOT be more proud of. He is juggling those boys as well as his “day job” at CBS News, the seminars he leads, and is currently attending the University of Nebraska grad school for a Masters of Arts in Mass Communications, Broadcasting.
In his spare time, he sits in traffic in an office called a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. His wife Michele has been accepted into Sainthood. He wants world peace, better Journalism, and a computer that works as well as a refrigerator. Oh yeah…the back of 24 year old!