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alt.fan.lynne-russell -- Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents Q1. Who is Lynne Russell? [UPDATED] Q2. What makes Lynne more special than other news anchors? Q3. What Lynne resources are available on the net? [UPDATED] Q4. What are her background and vital statistics? [UPDATED] Q5. What are her activities and interests outside of CNN? [UPDATED] Q6. Could Lynne kick my butt? Q7. Does Lynne really have a tattoo? Q8. Have there been any magazine articles about Lynne? [UPDATED] Q9. What TV appearances has she made other than CNN? Q10. Any Lynne pics on the net? Q11. Are there any "Headline Nudes" in existence? Q12. What's with the hair? Q13. Is Lynne herself on the net? [UPDATED] Q14. How can I contact Lynne? [UPDATED] Q15. What are Lynne's plans for the future? [UPDATED] Administrivia See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Q1. Who is Lynne Russell?
Lynne Russell is the former weekday evening anchor for CNN's
Headline News, on which she appeared from 1983 to May 18th,
2001. Her time slot was 7-11 PM (Eastern).
Q2. What makes Lynne more special than other news anchors?
There are many answers to this question. Beauty, quirkiness,
class, sexiness, professionalism, warmth, humor, grace, spirit,
the list goes on. As an article in the Saturday Evening Post
said, "Her style is distinctive. Whereas others are primarily
composed and favor a clipped, oracular delivery, Russell is
personal, almost conversational, and has a powerful, kinetic
presence she cannot quite contain. Whether it's a half-smile,
an arched brow, or the toss of a shoulder, there is a restless
physicality about her." She's not just a news reader: in an
interview for the journal Electronic Media, she characterized
herself as an involved journalist and active reporter. In any
case, she edits her own material, and is likely to reject what
is on the teleprompter in favor of what she has in front of her
on paper, and anyone who would dispute her right to do so
should refer to question #6.
Q3. What Lynne resources are available on the net?
There are quite a few resources about Lynne available:
+ Lynne Russell's official web site
http://www.lynne-russell.com/ debuted February 2002. The site
includes a picture gallery (with photos never seen before
online), message board (which Lynne will participate in from
time to time), quotes, tips for romance and a place to buy
autographed copies of her book.
+ alt.fan.lynne-russell, a Usenet newsgroup created in January
1995. The newsgroup also hosts discussion about various other
ladies of broadcasting, at least until there is a critical
mass of support for a more generic alt.fan.infobabe
newsgroup. For people without direct access to newsgroups,
alt.fan.lynne-russell can be read on Google Groups at
http://groups.google.com/groups?group=alt.fan.lynne-russell
for text messages; Google Groups doesn't archive binaries.
For newsreader options which include binaries, see
NewsReaders.com
+ The Lynne Russell Resource, by J.A. Ollinger; bibliography
and research sources
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/2802/lynne.htm
+ CNN's web site, Anchors & Reporters section provides a brief
biography and career summary
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/russell.html in
spite of the fact that she no longer appears on CNN Headline
News.
+ Lynne Russell: A Truly Unique Individual, a web page by Brian
Lev http://www.his.com/~blev/lynnepages.html
+ There is a Lynne Russell Yahoo! Club at
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/lynnerussell
+ The alt.fan.lynne-russell Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
file, maintained by Earl Cooley III
http://www.io.com/shiva/lrFAQ.html
If you know of more Lynne Russell resources online, please
e-mail details to shiva@io.com.
Q4. What are her background and vital statistics?
Lynne Russell was born in Orange, New Jersey, to John Russell
and Carmela Pasqualina Evangelista on November 1, 1946. Her
father was a career army officer, so her family moved
frequently while she was growing up. She studied nursing at the
University of Colorado, but later pursued a broadcasting career
at a small radio station. Lynne then got a radio job in Miami,
where she met her second husband, Jim Dunlap. They married in
1978, and divorced a few years ago. That same year was her
first TV news job, in Jacksonville, and over the next several
years she did TV news in Boston, Honolulu, and San Antonio,
until landing the job in Atlanta with the young Headline News
in 1983. In 1993 she became the first recipient of St.
Bonaventure University's Jandoli School of Journalism Award for
Excellence in Responsible Journalism.
+ Lynne has a son, John, born circa 1971 from a brief first
marriage.
+ Her height is 5' 9". (although one eyewitness report
estimates 6' 1")
+ Hair: red/brown. Eyes: dark brown.
+ Her ancestry is Italian on her mother's side.
+ She's a vegetarian.
+ Her CNN salary was in the six-figure range.
+ Favorite anchor: Roger Mudd.
+ Favorite Charity: the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind,
Inc.
Q5. What are her activities and interests outside of CNN?
One of the fascinating aspects of Lynne's life is that she has
some unusual hobbies and moonlights in some unexpected
professions. "She has a lot of different passions," says
coworker Chuck Roberts. She is a:
+ Deputy Sheriff: Lynne is a volunteer deputy for the Fulton
County Sheriff's Department. She wears a full uniform,
carries a gun, and performs such duties as providing security
for public events, screening visitors at the county jail, and
occasionally directing traffic.
+ Private Investigator and Bodyguard: A licensed P.I., Lynne
works part-time for the United Security Group (unpaid, so as
not to be a conflict of interest with CNN). For example, she
does investigation and surveillance of fraudulent injury
claimants and unfaithful spouses and has served as a
bodyguard for celebrities visiting Atlanta.
+ Martial Artist: Lynne has been involved in martial arts for
about 20 years, starting with Shotokan Karate and more
recently studying a Korean form called Choi Kwang Do which
emphasizes the reduction of the risk of injury during
training. She is a CKD black belt and trains regularly. A
woman should be able to defend herself.
+ Athlete: She is an open-water certified scuba diver. About
the certification test, Lynne says, the water temp was
sixty-two degrees, and it was sixty feet in three feet
visibility. It was a certification from hell. She is also an
ice hockey enthusiast; a few years ago, she broke her leg
while indulging in the sport.
+ Public Speaker: Lynne has frequently put her great voice to
good use as a public speaker. For example, she (along with
Richard Belzer) co-emceed the Top Cops Awards ceremonies
from 1995 to 2000 for the National Association of Police
Organizations. More recently, she was the keynote speaker at
the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Professional
Education Conference - North America which was held in
January of 2001 in New Orleans. For booking inquires, see
http://lynne-russell.com/media.html
+ Author: Her autobiography, How to Win Friends, Kick Ass and
Influence People (ISBN: 0312244037, 0312267509 pbk), is
available from St. Martin's Press. The cover blurb by George
magazine says, "As Russell reads the news, her spunk, like an
unruly bra strap, slips into view." Lynne also wrote an
article for the January 1994 issue of Tae Kwon-Do Times
magazine, called "CNN's Lynne Russell Speaks on Choi
Kwang-Do: No Pain, Big Gains." That particular back issue is
sold out. She is working on a second book.
+ Actor: She's been cast as an abused woman in a Canadian TV
series, "The Ride," opposite ex-"Homicide" star Yaphett
Kotto.
Lynne says, I can't imagine doing any one thing. Why should
you have to?
Q6. Could Lynne kick my butt?
Almost certainly. Lynne's extensive experience in martial arts
would make her a formidable foe. Says her instructor, "In the
classroom a lot of the male population, they're actually pretty
frightened of her." Aside from that, she's licensed to carry a
handgun; the last we knew, she packs a SIG-Sauer P230 9mm short
semiautomatic pistol and knows how to use it. But we are
fortunate in that Lynne uses her powers for good instead of
evil.
Q7. Does Lynne really have a tattoo?
Yes, she has at least two, one is on the inside of her left
forearm. It is a yellow circle containing an orange mark, a
black figure of a dragon, and black Korean characters which
read as "Pil Sung." Pil Sung is a motto for Choi Kwang Do and
translates as "Certain Victory." Lynne got the tattoo to
celebrate attaining her bodan belt in 1994. The more recent
Jezebel picture shows a second tattoo on the outside of her
right arm; the resolution of the picture was such that it is
difficult to provide an accurate blazon for the new tattoo,
except to note that it is reddish with a dark border and
contains several symbols, one of which looks like the letter
"C". One presumes it celebrates her first dan black belt in
CKD.
Q8. Have there been any magazine articles about Lynne?
Features on Lynne have appeared in the following magazines and
webzines:
+ People Weekly, June 27, 1994. "Here Now, the Sleuth," p. 61.
+ Millenium Pop, Fall 1994. "Lynne Russell - Revision," by
Robin Dougherty.
+ Atlanta Magazine, April 1995. "CNN's Secret Agent," p. 40.
+ The Saturday Evening Post, June 1995. "Lynne Russell: CNN's
Straight-Shooting Anchorwoman," p. 34.
+ Lynne appeared, along with other "Ladies of CNN," in the
August 1996 issue of Esquire magazine in the "Women We Love"
section.
+ An article about Lynne appeared in the November 13th, 1996
edition of the hypertrendoid webzine Suck, a self-proclaimed
"experiment in provocation, mordant deconstructionism, and
buzz-saw journalism." Some of it was actually about Lynne,
but it tended to diverge into odd topics such as modern
primitivism and posthuman psychology.
+ An article which mentioned Lynne appeared in Salon, a webzine
owned by Borders Books & Music; in a FAQ-like discussion of
television, Joyce Millman says of Lynne, "Her dark, manicured
eyebrows are mobile arches of silent editorial commentary."
+ George Magazine's May 1998 issue (p. 30) featured a brief
profile which compared and contrasted her to Daljit Dhaliwal
of ITN. Rory Evans says Lynne is "...the business-class
version of Sophia Loren."
+ Playboy's Body Language newsstand special featured an article
by Lynne (excerpted from her book) in its September 1998
issue.
+ The November 1998 issue of Southwest Airlines Spirit
in-flight magazine's cover story is called "Lynne, Live" by
Lawrence Wells.
+ Atlanta's Jezebel magazine's 2nd anniversary issue (November
1998) featured a two-page photo spread of Lynne; she was also
one of the people on the cover.
+ The November 30th, 1998 issue of Electronic Media (a weekly
newspaper that covers the programming business of television
in broadcasting, cable and syndication, including local
stations, broadcast and cable networks, direct broadcast
satellite and the Web) featured an article about Lynne.
+ The July 1999 issue of Cyberteen Zeen (an e-zine for teens)
featured an article called "The Best Person You Don't Know
About," by Lindsey Buckner.
+ The November 1999 issue of Mirabella magazine had a one-page
feature on Lynne with pictures. Mirabella ceased publication
in April of 2000. Please email shiva@io.com if you have any
information about this article.
+ The August 21st, 2000 online issue of Salon Technology &
Business featured an article by Sonia Chopra called "A CNN
anchor opens up off-camera" which was reprinted from Green
Magazine. Bankrate.com picked up the article as well, under
the title "This Redhead Reads Headlines and Much More"
+ The December 2000 issue of The Meeting Professional magazine
featured a great interview with Lynne.
+ On May 18th, 2001, The Washington Post featured an article
"Sunk in a Funk Without Anchor Lynne Russell" which described
the reaction of the men of The Washington Post's Style
section to Lynne's resignation from CNN Headline News. Their
tribute to Lynne was both heartfelt and eloquent: "We love
Lynne because her voice is an exotic instrument, a smoky,
soothing thing that is the vessel of her conspiratorial bond
with her viewers."
+ From The Rational Radical's Daily Diatribe column, comes an
anti-Lynne article, which criticizes her for smiling while
reporting disasters, called "Lynne Russell, Keep That Smile
Off Your Face!"
+ On February 20th, 2002, The Starr Report featured an
interview with Lynne about her new web site.
The text of many of these articles has been posted to Usenet or
the Web and is reposted occasionally. Thanks to Google's
20-year Usenet archive, many of these articles are available
once again.
Q9. What TV appearances has she made other than CNN?
Lynne has been interviewed several times on TV.
+ Lynne appeared as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on
7/25/94. She caused a bit of a stir by hiking up her
miniskirt in the middle of the interview to reveal her trusty
9mm pistol in a thigh holster. In addition, she repeatedly
referred to her boss Ted Turner's wife Jane Fonda as
"Barbarella." Unfortunately, individual episodes are not
available for sale at the NBC Store site.
+ In the spring of '95, Lynne was profiled on the entertainment
news show EXTRA. They showed her at work at CNN, practicing
martial arts in the gym, and patrolling the streets of
Atlanta as a deputy sheriff.
+ In the summer of '96, Lynne made an appearance on the Crook &
Chase show in her Fulton County deputy's uniform; she frisked
Charlie Chase, got him down on his knees, handcuffed him and
read him his rights: You have the right to remain silent,
you have the right to color tv, you have the right to sing
the blues...
+ Given the fact that she has published her memoirs, we hope to
see Lynne make the talk show tour to promote her book.
Q10. Any Lynne pics on the net?
Pictures have been scanned from the Saturday Evening Post
article and other sources, and the jpegs are posted to
alt.binaries.pictures.celebrities and
alt.binaries.pictures.misc on occasion (sometimes flagged with
an "[INFOBABE]" tag in the message subject). Four Lynne Russell
pictures reside at the Private Pages "On The Air" web site;
they consist of photos from the EXTRA feature and Atlanta
magazine, with more pictures available to members. The CNN web
site has a single medium-quality color pic of Lynne. Although
the Lynne Live! web site is no longer active, it has a large
associated photo gallery. Some of the online resources listed
above have a few pictures of Lynne. The alt.fan.lynne-russell
newsgroup itself has had many pictures posted over the years;
participants in the newsgroup are generally tolerant of
on-topic binary postings even though it is a discussion
newsgroup. Pictures and discussion of other ladies in
broadcasting who have no newsgroup of their own have appeared
there from time to time as well; this is likely to continue
until a more general infobabe newsgroup gets created.
Q11. Are there any "Headline Nudes" in existence?
Rumor has it that Playboy twice offered Lynne big bucks to pose
nude, but she declined. Since she presumably no longer has CNN
contract restrictions to interfere, she is in negotiations with
Playboy to make some sort of appearance. Although not nude, the
most erotic pictures of Lynne (not counting the many fakes) are
from Atlanta magazine, where she is clad in tight patent
leather, wears her gun as an accessory, and shows quite a bit
of black-stockinged, stiletto-heeled leg. The much-awaited
Jezebel pictures were posted to the newsgroup a few years ago,
so there appears to be a new champion in that department. Quite
a few fake nudes of Lynne have appeared in the
alt.fan.lynne-russell newsgroup, and can be expected to appear
in alt.binaries.pictures.nude.celebrities.fake as well. By the
way, Google Groups does not archive any binary content.
Q12. What's with the hair?
Unlike most anchorwomen, Lynne is known to change her hairstyle
frequently. To quote Atlanta magazine, "Russell's may be the
most carefully scrutinized television 'do' since Howard Cosell
put on a rug. Even casual viewers note that one night Russell
looks carefully coifed and the next as if she forgot to wear a
shower cap -- which is what, in fact, sometimes happens.
Regarding my hair, volunteers Russell, accustomed to
comments, I have no control over it. I'm just wearing it. "
Her color is primarily dark red, although even that is variable
-- at one time during the 80's she even had a very brief stint
as a blonde. Some have theorized that she may sometimes wear
wigs on the air, but this has not been confirmed. Also, she
sometimes wears (and always looks good in) glasses on-air,
something that is seen on few other female anchors.
Q13. Is Lynne herself on the net?
Yes. She participates in message board discussions on her new
web site.
Q14. How can I contact Lynne?
You can contact Lynne through her new web site at
http://lynne-russell.com/contact.html and
http://lynne-russell.com/media.html for media and appearance
inquiries.
Beyond that, you should respect Lynne's privacy. She has had
bad experiences in the past regarding obsessed fans. Quoting
from Atlanta magazine, "She has had men stalk her, including
one from New England who traveled to New York and Washington
before he realized she was in Atlanta. When he finally found
his way here, he was arrested, convicted and sent to jail."
Above all, don't try to interfere when she's working. One guy
tried to get in the background of a location shot and was
making a pest of himself. Lynne covered her mike, turned to the
man, and said, If you don't knock it off, you're gonna carry
your balls out in a basket. He left. Anyone with similar ideas
is referred to question #6. Further, "... the network gets more
requests for pictures of Russell than anyone. Unfortunately,
says Russell, some you'd want to handle with gloves. They're
disgusting." So keep it nice.
Q15. What are Lynne's plans for the future?
Lynne's last broadcast for CNN was on Friday, May 18th, 2001.
Lynne is committed to writing and acting for now. Watch for her
when The Ride becomes available on Canadian TV. You can also
keep up to date on Lynne through her new web site at
http://www.lynne-russell.com/
Administrivia
Please e-mail comments about this FAQ to Earl Cooley III at shiva@io.com.
This file was last modified Tuesday, February 26, 2002 5:59:16 PM.
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--
e=sc^3 (shiva@io.com) Earl Cooley III
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