Bonnie Bernstein
Rising to the Top in TV Sports Reporting
By Susan Josephs

Bonnie Bernstein has struggled with her Jewish identity only once. Fresh out of the University of Maryland and applying for her second broadcast journalism job, she considered dropping the "stein" from her last name. "It was my mom who reminded me that I was better than that, that I should be proud of who I am," she recalls.

At 34, Bernstein has risen to the top of her profession as a sports reporter for CBS. She has covered events ranging from the Super Bowl to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships to the NBA Finals, where she attracted the attention of former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan. "There was a crowd of us waiting to interview him," she says. "I weaseled my way up front and crouched down, holding my microphone over my head. My arm was exhausted, but Michael Jordan looked down at me and said, Yeah?' "

Learning how to stand out in a crowd is only one of a multitude of qualities that have allowed Bernstein to distinguish herself in a traditionally male domain. Passionate, driven and hard-working, she fears failure and perseveres no matter what. "I hate coming in second," she says. "I am the quintessential perfectionist."

Raised in New Jersey, Bernstein knew from an early age that she wanted to be a sportswriter. Her parents had a passion for watching sports, and Bernstein spent her childhood as both fan and participant. She also loved writing, but her self-diagnosed ADD (attention deficit disorder) personality ruled out desk jobs as possible careers. Factor in the 1976 Olympics, which had a huge impact on Bernstein—particularly gymnast Nadia Comaneci's perfect-10 performance—and there was no question of another path.

With a "pretty Reform" upbringing, Bernstein did not receive a formal Jewish education. "You don't have to go to Hebrew school to have an appreciation for who you are," she says, observing that the Jewish women she knows tend to share the same hard-driving, independent qualities. "I feel part of this common thread—that as Jews we've struggled yet persevered."

Bernstein competed in gymnastics at college and also played soccer and ran track. After graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism, she worked at a Delaware radio station before landing her first TV job in Salisbury, Md., in 1993. Later that year, Bernstein accepted a job at a TV station in Reno, Nev., eventually becoming the city's first female main sports anchor, and in 1996 became a correspondent for ESPN's SportsCenter.

She has been at CBS since 1998 and prides herself on following in the footsteps of sports reporters such as Lesley Visser and Robin Roberts, who "set the tone for intelligent females in our business."

Though Bernstein has no set work schedule, her career can be time-intensive, particularly when she's covering games. As to her personal life, "building a relationship with someone has been challenging. People say what I do is very intimidating to men, but I don't agree. I feel that if a person is secure in himself, then how much money I make or who I know doesn't matter."

As for the future, Bernstein hopes to crack the glass ceiling that she says still exists and land a hosting job for a major sports show. She would also like to be more involved in philanthropic organizations. "So much of my life has been spent climbing the ladder," she says. "Now I can afford to prioritize."