Margaret Brennan.Photo: Chris UsherDecades beforeMargaret Brennantook the reins of CBS News' Sunday politics show,Face the Nation, she grew well-acquainted with the grind, picking up many skills through competitive Irish step dancing that she could one day apply to broadcast journalism.Brennan was 5 years old when her mom noticed her love of dance and asked if she wanted to give Irish step a go. “I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll try it,'” she recalls. And she loved it — enough to stick with the frequent practices and out-of-town competitions until the age of 18. “There was a period of time where it was really intense,” she says, until years of injuries caught up to her and cut her career short, just in time to start thinking about college. “I had hairline fractures quite often from impact and I have bad knees and all the rest.“Picking up Irish step dancing never felt random to Brennan — who has Irish heritage and went to a Catholic girls school where it wasn’t all that unusual — until she got to the University of Virginia and people started reacting with,You did what?!Now, she chuckles a bit at the apparent novelty of it all: “This was pre-Riverdancetoo, so wasn’t it quite as glammed up as it is now. It was much more traditional.“Looking back, Brennan, 42, is quick to attribute a lot of life skills to her years as a step dancer — namely discipline, confidence and always trying your best. Plus, she says, “It was great to be able to experience my culture and learn about it through the arts in a way that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.“Margaret Brennan performs an Irish step dance in 1986.Courtesy Margaret BrennanAs a shy kid, step dancing allowed Brennan to break out of her shell for a few brief moments at a time. She learned that when it was her turn to dance, she could withstand the attention if she simply focused on the task at hand rather than thinking about the pressure.Today, the same applies: “My instinct, if you just leave me to my own devices, is not necessarily to get up on that stage.” Yet she does it week after week before a national audience, able to snap into the fearless moderator she needs to be with ease.Aside from learning discipline through one-on-one dance classes and bravery through frequent performances, she also got her first taste of humility thanks to Irish step dancing. “My dad tells a story about one of the first competitions where I didn’t place,” she says. “I walked off and I was like, ‘Daddy, where’s my trophy?’ And he was like, ‘You didn’t place.’ He then explained to me what it is to lose, even when you tried really hard and think you did a good job.“For more on Margaret Brennan’s rise to the top of her field,subscribe now to PEOPLEor pick up this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday.Margaret Brennan in the Washington, D.C. studio.Chris Usher/CBSToday, Brennan remains in a competitive atmosphere, albeit an entirely different setting. Since taking over as moderator ofFace the Nationin February of 2018, she has worked her hardest to adapt to the moment and help steer the broadcast to its current positioning as the No.1 Sunday morning politics show in terms of total viewership. CBS News has claimed that most-watched spot the past two seasons, and is on track to nab it again this year.“Everyone atFace the Nationis very competitive with trying to create the best show we can each Sunday,” she says. “If people think our program just is a weekend program that starts and stops on Sundays, then they’re wrong. It’s a process.“The job requires Brennan to be in a constant state of rehearsal — reading up on the news, chatting with subject matter experts for help digesting complex issues, and getting ready to recall important bits of information without delay when the cameras are rolling. On Sunday afternoons, she tries to take a big nap before it’s back to the drawing board, looking ahead to the next performance.Fortunately, she has nearly 40 years of experience enduring the rigorous cycle. “Did I always want to be here in this job? I didn’t ever imagine it,” she says, thinking back on her childhood years. “But I’ve always known to pursue the things that interest me the most.”
Margaret Brennan.Photo: Chris Usher
Decades beforeMargaret Brennantook the reins of CBS News’ Sunday politics show,Face the Nation, she grew well-acquainted with the grind, picking up many skills through competitive Irish step dancing that she could one day apply to broadcast journalism.Brennan was 5 years old when her mom noticed her love of dance and asked if she wanted to give Irish step a go. “I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll try it,'” she recalls. And she loved it — enough to stick with the frequent practices and out-of-town competitions until the age of 18. “There was a period of time where it was really intense,” she says, until years of injuries caught up to her and cut her career short, just in time to start thinking about college. “I had hairline fractures quite often from impact and I have bad knees and all the rest.“Picking up Irish step dancing never felt random to Brennan — who has Irish heritage and went to a Catholic girls school where it wasn’t all that unusual — until she got to the University of Virginia and people started reacting with,You did what?!Now, she chuckles a bit at the apparent novelty of it all: “This was pre-Riverdancetoo, so wasn’t it quite as glammed up as it is now. It was much more traditional.“Looking back, Brennan, 42, is quick to attribute a lot of life skills to her years as a step dancer — namely discipline, confidence and always trying your best. Plus, she says, “It was great to be able to experience my culture and learn about it through the arts in a way that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.“Margaret Brennan performs an Irish step dance in 1986.Courtesy Margaret BrennanAs a shy kid, step dancing allowed Brennan to break out of her shell for a few brief moments at a time. She learned that when it was her turn to dance, she could withstand the attention if she simply focused on the task at hand rather than thinking about the pressure.Today, the same applies: “My instinct, if you just leave me to my own devices, is not necessarily to get up on that stage.” Yet she does it week after week before a national audience, able to snap into the fearless moderator she needs to be with ease.Aside from learning discipline through one-on-one dance classes and bravery through frequent performances, she also got her first taste of humility thanks to Irish step dancing. “My dad tells a story about one of the first competitions where I didn’t place,” she says. “I walked off and I was like, ‘Daddy, where’s my trophy?’ And he was like, ‘You didn’t place.’ He then explained to me what it is to lose, even when you tried really hard and think you did a good job.“For more on Margaret Brennan’s rise to the top of her field,subscribe now to PEOPLEor pick up this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday.Margaret Brennan in the Washington, D.C. studio.Chris Usher/CBSToday, Brennan remains in a competitive atmosphere, albeit an entirely different setting. Since taking over as moderator ofFace the Nationin February of 2018, she has worked her hardest to adapt to the moment and help steer the broadcast to its current positioning as the No.1 Sunday morning politics show in terms of total viewership. CBS News has claimed that most-watched spot the past two seasons, and is on track to nab it again this year.“Everyone atFace the Nationis very competitive with trying to create the best show we can each Sunday,” she says. “If people think our program just is a weekend program that starts and stops on Sundays, then they’re wrong. It’s a process.“The job requires Brennan to be in a constant state of rehearsal — reading up on the news, chatting with subject matter experts for help digesting complex issues, and getting ready to recall important bits of information without delay when the cameras are rolling. On Sunday afternoons, she tries to take a big nap before it’s back to the drawing board, looking ahead to the next performance.Fortunately, she has nearly 40 years of experience enduring the rigorous cycle. “Did I always want to be here in this job? I didn’t ever imagine it,” she says, thinking back on her childhood years. “But I’ve always known to pursue the things that interest me the most.”
Decades beforeMargaret Brennantook the reins of CBS News’ Sunday politics show,Face the Nation, she grew well-acquainted with the grind, picking up many skills through competitive Irish step dancing that she could one day apply to broadcast journalism.
Brennan was 5 years old when her mom noticed her love of dance and asked if she wanted to give Irish step a go. “I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll try it,'” she recalls. And she loved it — enough to stick with the frequent practices and out-of-town competitions until the age of 18. “There was a period of time where it was really intense,” she says, until years of injuries caught up to her and cut her career short, just in time to start thinking about college. “I had hairline fractures quite often from impact and I have bad knees and all the rest.”
Picking up Irish step dancing never felt random to Brennan — who has Irish heritage and went to a Catholic girls school where it wasn’t all that unusual — until she got to the University of Virginia and people started reacting with,You did what?!Now, she chuckles a bit at the apparent novelty of it all: “This was pre-Riverdancetoo, so wasn’t it quite as glammed up as it is now. It was much more traditional.”
Looking back, Brennan, 42, is quick to attribute a lot of life skills to her years as a step dancer — namely discipline, confidence and always trying your best. Plus, she says, “It was great to be able to experience my culture and learn about it through the arts in a way that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Margaret Brennan performs an Irish step dance in 1986.Courtesy Margaret Brennan
As a shy kid, step dancing allowed Brennan to break out of her shell for a few brief moments at a time. She learned that when it was her turn to dance, she could withstand the attention if she simply focused on the task at hand rather than thinking about the pressure.
Today, the same applies: “My instinct, if you just leave me to my own devices, is not necessarily to get up on that stage.” Yet she does it week after week before a national audience, able to snap into the fearless moderator she needs to be with ease.
Aside from learning discipline through one-on-one dance classes and bravery through frequent performances, she also got her first taste of humility thanks to Irish step dancing. “My dad tells a story about one of the first competitions where I didn’t place,” she says. “I walked off and I was like, ‘Daddy, where’s my trophy?’ And he was like, ‘You didn’t place.’ He then explained to me what it is to lose, even when you tried really hard and think you did a good job.”
For more on Margaret Brennan’s rise to the top of her field,subscribe now to PEOPLEor pick up this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday.
Margaret Brennan in the Washington, D.C. studio.Chris Usher/CBS
Today, Brennan remains in a competitive atmosphere, albeit an entirely different setting. Since taking over as moderator ofFace the Nationin February of 2018, she has worked her hardest to adapt to the moment and help steer the broadcast to its current positioning as the No.1 Sunday morning politics show in terms of total viewership. CBS News has claimed that most-watched spot the past two seasons, and is on track to nab it again this year.
“Everyone atFace the Nationis very competitive with trying to create the best show we can each Sunday,” she says. “If people think our program just is a weekend program that starts and stops on Sundays, then they’re wrong. It’s a process.”
The job requires Brennan to be in a constant state of rehearsal — reading up on the news, chatting with subject matter experts for help digesting complex issues, and getting ready to recall important bits of information without delay when the cameras are rolling. On Sunday afternoons, she tries to take a big nap before it’s back to the drawing board, looking ahead to the next performance.
Fortunately, she has nearly 40 years of experience enduring the rigorous cycle. “Did I always want to be here in this job? I didn’t ever imagine it,” she says, thinking back on her childhood years. “But I’ve always known to pursue the things that interest me the most.”
source: people.com
