We’re On in Five …

Joe Shortsleeve ’79 is making his way to the WBZ-TV newsroom in Boston on the morning of March 5 and he has no idea what awaits him.

That suspense each morning is one of the reasons that keep him enthused.

In 1999, he covered the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. In 2001, he covered various angles of the Sept. 11 aftermath. Late last year, he covered the hostage situation at the New Hampshire headquarters of the Hillary Clinton campaign. Yesterday, he interviewed the new executive director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority which is facing a minimum $13 million deficit. (Watch the video online)

“Live TV is a lot of fun,” the Boston native says. “When you’re doing a live event — covering a blizzard or a breaking news story — there’s nothing else like it. The ability to be on TV in a live news situation is exhilarating especially when you can draw upon your experience in the area. It’s a job that brings a level of excitement or enthusiasm that keeps you engaged.”

Arguably one of the most recognizable TV news reporters in Boston, Shortsleeve will return to campus on March 13 to speak to an English class in which his daughter, Cassandra Shortsleeve ’10, happens to be enrolled. Sarah Stanbury, associate professor of English, invited Shortsleeve upon learning what Cassandra’s father did for a living. He will talk about the limits of reporting (what can and cannot be said on the news), truth in reporting, and the decisions that reporters and editors make on a daily basis.

Shortsleeve’s fascination with the media started when he was still a student. He got involved with the on-campus radio station WCHC when he was a freshman, and hosted several shows throughout his college career. He says one of his proudest moments was when he invited Massachusetts Senator Edward W. Brooke, who was running for reelection, for an interview to the WCHC studio for an interview.

“I sent him a letter for the heck of it, and he came and he was on the talk show,” he says. “The next thing I know the president of the school [Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J.] is there welcoming him.”

It was the Blizzard of ’78 — which paralyzed the region by dumping more than 50 inches of snow in some areas — that sealed the deal. He was doing his second internship (his first was at a television station in Worcester) at Channel 5 in Boston, and realized the enormous impact television had in the world.

“I watched how television was the only connection people relied on during the blizzard and that’s when I said ‘This is what I want to do.’ ”

Before arriving to WBZ-TV, where he has spent the last 18 years, Shortsleeve worked as weekend anchor, reporter, and producer at WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Ill.; the primary anchor at WITN-TV in Greenville, N.C.; executive producer and anchor for Cablevision News 12 in Westport, Conn.; and weekend anchor at WLVI-TV in Boston.

Shortsleeve, who was a history major, says that there is “no question” whether Holy Cross helped him in his career. “You learn a little about a lot of different topics,” he says. “A lot of people ask me ‘Did you ever get a communications degree?’ I say “No, I didn’t. I got a liberal arts degree.’ You’re drawing on knowledge from a lot of areas. At Holy Cross, you are taught how to become a better writer, a better researcher, and other valuable skills.”

He also says that Holy Cross gave him the latitude to pursue internships that helped launch his career.

“It was really a wonderful marriage,” he says.

Related Information:

Listen to WCHC live online Biography of Joe Shortsleeve on WBZ-TV\'s Website