Roberson-Bailey has a lot of grit . . . and a lot of heart Spring 2009 - By Amy Kirby
Since graduating in 1999 from SIUE’s Mass Communications program with a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in television/radio and a minor in journalism, Jules Roberson-Bailey has made quite a name for herself in the news world.
Currently a freelance field producer, Roberson-Bailey does the vast majority of her work for CBS News. Most recently, she has covered such big stories as Pope Benedict’s visits to Washington, D.C. and New York City in 2008; the Democratic National Convention; and Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike.
“If it’s a big story, I’m probably there,” she said. “If there’s death and destruction, I’m probably there.”
Roberson-Bailey has also put in many hours covering sports. Through the course of her career, she has covered seven Super Bowls. She also spent three years working as Ozzie Smith’s producer. During the course of his 18-year career, Smith was a shortstop for the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals. Roberson-Bailey was with him when he got the phone call informing him that he had been inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Perhaps one of the biggest accomplishments of Roberson-Bailey’s career was her investigation into steroids use in Major League Baseball. When Ken Caminiti, the 1996 National League MVP, admitted to Sports Illustrated in 2002 that he had used steroids during his MVP season, Roberson-Bailey was behind the camera.
“She broke [the story of] steroids in baseball,” “CNN Newsource” Executive Producer Beth Carter-Camp said.
Roberson-Bailey and her nieces in a sea of her work. Photo by The Telegraph/Jim Bowling
Roberson-Bailey’s colleagues praise her professional skills and her character. Carter-Camp has known Roberson-Bailey for 15 years and calls her “one of the greatest field producers I’ve ever met.”
“She’s been on the sidelines of history,” Carter-Camp said.
Carter-Camp said Roberson-Bailey is someone with “a lot of character, a lot of grit.”
Dave Hawthorne, special program producer for “CBS Newspath” has known Roberson-Bailey for about eight years, and said she is their main, go-to person field producer.
“I call her up when it’s the worst, most awful situation,” because “she’s great under the worst kinds of situations,” Hawthorne explained.
Hawthorne worked with Roberson-Bailey during Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Hanna and Ike. He stressed how physically and emotionally stressful it is to cover disastrous stories but said Roberson-Bailey somehow manages to “make it fun, if you can imagine.”
Although Hawthorne said Roberson-Bailey can be like a drill sergeant when she needs to be, he said that one of the things he most admires about her is her caring, supportive attitude toward others. While covering Hurricane Ike in Houston, Roberson-Bailey took the time to rescue a puppy that was scared, shivering and hungry.
“That’s just the kind of heart she has,” Hawthorne said. “She can keep her head and her focus and still take the time to take care of the people and animals around her.”
Roberson-Bailey said that, as a producer, it can be difficult to supervise and coordinate a crew during stressful and chaotic situations, and still get the footage she needs to cover a story.
“My primary function is to get on the air,” she explained.
Something of a self-proclaimed “news gypsy,” Roberson-Bailey started her career in Little Rock, Ark., before moving to Reno, Nev.; Sacramento, Calif.; Phoenix; and Dallas. She and her husband Chris made the decision to move back to the Edwardsville area five years ago. Roberson-Bailey stressed how important family is in helping to offset the pressures of her career. She talked about how spending time with her husband helps her to unwind and recharge.
“He’s in the business. So, when I’ve had a bad day, he’s a good sounding board,” she said.
With obvious affection, Roberson-Bailey talked about her nieces and nephews and how important they are to her.
“You get one hug from one of those guys, and can’t have a bad day,” she said.
Of her educational experience at SIUE, Roberson-Bailey said the Mass Communications program is “as good as any in the country and better than most.”
“I had some really good mentors, and Riley Maynard was at the top of the list,” she said.
All these years later, Maynard speaks of his former student with admiration.
“Jules runs with the big dogs,” he said. “She’s at the very highest level in my opinion.... She goes into impossible situations. In the industry, we say she goes into a ‘hellhole.’”
Maynard also praised Roberson-Bailey’s determination and professionalism to get the job done no matter what the circumstances. He said that in many of the situations Roberson-Bailey covers “there’s no power, no food, but there’s Jules, and she makes it happen.”