Jenna Lee Fox Business News, You watch 29-year-old Jenna Lee on the Fox Business Network and imagine her life of fame, fortune and -- especially -- glamour. Who wouldn't want the life of a budding television-news star?
For openers, you had better have boundless stamina and an unshakable love for the work. Lee is a Fox Business anchor, whose duties include anchoring the 5-6 a.m. "Fox Business Morning" and the 6-9 a.m. Web show "FoxBusiness.com Live/Morning Edition."
Plus, Lee is now a part of the "Imus in the Morning" simulcast -- which started appearing last week on Fox Business -- and she also delivers breaking-news updates and pre-market reports. She handles updates on the Fox News Channel, too.
Observing Lee since she started on Fox, I've noticed her growth. When she started, the lack of polish showed. Now, she looks and sounds like a poised, seasoned TV journalist, who is headed for a higher profile.
TV news is glamorous life -- to a point. Remember, Lee is usually sound asleep by 8:30 at night and is usually at her desk at Fox by 2:30 a.m.
"You're going on the air at 5, whether you like it or not, so you have to be prepared," she said. Spoken like a TV-news lifer.
That has been Lee's world since she joined Fox Business shortly before its launch two years ago. (Full disclosure: News Corp. (US:NWS) owns MarketWatch and Fox, and I have appeared occasionally on Fox Business.)
The unconventional schedule makes it difficult for her to have a normal life.
"It's tough for someone from the outside looking in to understand the schedule," she said. "And it's tough for me, simply because I'm sleeping when others are awake."
She shrugged. "The days do tend to run together."
Fame trap
Prior to joining Fox, Lee, a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, worked at Forbes.com and the local news channel NY1.
One of Lee's biggest adjustments has been accepting the notion that she is regarded as a celebrity in some circles.
It helps for her to discuss life as a public figure with her father, former National Football League quarterback Bob "The General" Lee. (Jenna can in turn enlighten her brother, University of Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, on handling the media.)
Lee has to contend with the blogosphere, in which an invasion of privacy is a fact of life. She doesn't see herself as a celebrity. When she discusses the blogs, it's as if she's talking about another Jenna Lee.
"It's been surprising how much the viewers want to know about me," she said. "I'm so focused on the work. I don't think I'm so interesting. I feel rather unremarkable."
Lee shakes her head. "To be perceived only as an attractive young woman, that's not how I view myself," she said. "It's not a bother, but it can be confusing when people judge me on the way I look."
Liz Claman, a veteran TV journalist and a colleague of Lee's, puts it in perspective: "We're not doing radio here. We're doing TV. You have to be presentable and smart."
For openers, you had better have boundless stamina and an unshakable love for the work. Lee is a Fox Business anchor, whose duties include anchoring the 5-6 a.m. "Fox Business Morning" and the 6-9 a.m. Web show "FoxBusiness.com Live/Morning Edition."
Plus, Lee is now a part of the "Imus in the Morning" simulcast -- which started appearing last week on Fox Business -- and she also delivers breaking-news updates and pre-market reports. She handles updates on the Fox News Channel, too.
Observing Lee since she started on Fox, I've noticed her growth. When she started, the lack of polish showed. Now, she looks and sounds like a poised, seasoned TV journalist, who is headed for a higher profile.
TV news is glamorous life -- to a point. Remember, Lee is usually sound asleep by 8:30 at night and is usually at her desk at Fox by 2:30 a.m.
"You're going on the air at 5, whether you like it or not, so you have to be prepared," she said. Spoken like a TV-news lifer.
That has been Lee's world since she joined Fox Business shortly before its launch two years ago. (Full disclosure: News Corp. (US:NWS) owns MarketWatch and Fox, and I have appeared occasionally on Fox Business.)
The unconventional schedule makes it difficult for her to have a normal life.
"It's tough for someone from the outside looking in to understand the schedule," she said. "And it's tough for me, simply because I'm sleeping when others are awake."
She shrugged. "The days do tend to run together."
Fame trap
Prior to joining Fox, Lee, a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, worked at Forbes.com and the local news channel NY1.
One of Lee's biggest adjustments has been accepting the notion that she is regarded as a celebrity in some circles.
It helps for her to discuss life as a public figure with her father, former National Football League quarterback Bob "The General" Lee. (Jenna can in turn enlighten her brother, University of Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, on handling the media.)
Lee has to contend with the blogosphere, in which an invasion of privacy is a fact of life. She doesn't see herself as a celebrity. When she discusses the blogs, it's as if she's talking about another Jenna Lee.
"It's been surprising how much the viewers want to know about me," she said. "I'm so focused on the work. I don't think I'm so interesting. I feel rather unremarkable."
Lee shakes her head. "To be perceived only as an attractive young woman, that's not how I view myself," she said. "It's not a bother, but it can be confusing when people judge me on the way I look."
Liz Claman, a veteran TV journalist and a colleague of Lee's, puts it in perspective: "We're not doing radio here. We're doing TV. You have to be presentable and smart."