Month: December 2020

I happened to catch Rob Schmitt‘s broadcast early this morning on Newsmax, and he introduced two new members of his team there, one of which is Rachel Rollar.  Both new team members were excellent but Rachel was showcased a big more, and she definitely stood out as smart, quick-witted, and clever – definitely someone to watch.  I’m just posting about this now because I have a hunch that we’ll see her star rise bigtime, and I’ve seen this sort of thing before.

One example: years ago I was watching live coverage one weekend of the ongoing DC sniper incidents, when I caught a compelling report from a weekend fill-in MSNBC reporter who wouldn’t say her name. It drove me crazy, so I asked friends with connections at MSNBC and got her email address and her name – it was Natalie Morales, long before she joined the Today show. I remember emailing her and praising her work and reminder her – say your name!  She graciously responded and we’ve stayed in touch over the years, through 9/11 and later.

And then there was an early morning local DC area newscaster who came on at 5 am who I knew had big things in store for her.  She did share her name freely on the air – Carol Costello – and it was easier to email her and praise her work and let her know I could tell big things were in store for her.  I’m not sure how long it was before she joined CNN – maybe a year or two?  I’m not sure.

My point: I got the same sense this morning from the work of Rachel Rollar.  Her future looks bright!