An active agenda is not an unfamiliar concept to CBS New York’s Ali Bauman. The Syracuse graduate obtained a double major in broadcast journalism and political science. At 27, she has become one of New York’s most trusted correspondents as she refines the way a journalist uses social media to interact with their audience.
In school, a more straightforward approach was always going to be the case for Ali. To develop her education beyond a classroom setting, she joined internship programs for both ABC and Binghamton’s WBNG-TV. At ABC, her abilities were tested as she was charged with interacting with the station’s audience, exploring which stories needed to be told. In Binghamton, her work ethic grew into a vital journalistic ability.
“I was doing all my classes two days a week and then the other days, I would be going there and working part-time as a reporter. I liked working at Binghamton because of the smaller market and they very early let me put stories together, which I don’t think I would have been able to do if I was interning at a bigger station. I definitely had to miss out on some parties. But it was helpful in terms of like getting real-world experience and very hands-on experience.”
There was no opportunity overlooked during her time at Syracuse. Engaging in numerous career opportunities, Ali further enriched her resume with work from NBC, theSkimm, and News 12 Connecticut.
In 2014, Ali accepted the Syracuse University Elmire, New York Capitol Hill Internship, making her the first and only undergraduate student to have been accepted in the program. In D.C, Ali was assigned to chronical the actions of the congressman representing Elmire’s district.
“I’m in D.C, which is many miles away from upstate New York. How do I find a story here that can apply to the people over there? So that was an interesting learning experience. On top of that, being literally in Capitol Hill in DC, I was 20 at the time. So, it was me in DC where there were people walking around who were working for CNN and everything. I would be going into press conferences and press rooms where I was setting up my little camera next to camera guys and photographers who’ve been doing this for decades. It was kind of a quick learning experience. Like are you able to hold your own and manage your own no matter how big or how small the station you’re representing is.”
Following her graduation in 2015, she worked for News 12 in Manhattan for the next ten months. There, her consistency and precision shined. The bilingual reporter of Spanish and English blossomed as a one-woman force where she shot, edited, and wrote all of her own stories. Several of these News 12 pieces found their way onto Bauman’s personal YouTube channel. In 2016, the Chief Cameraman for CBS New York stumbled upon Bauman’s personal channel and promptly called her in for an interview.
“You know, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do, but I thought maybe I could get my foot in the door. So, I went in and I interviewed and while I was there the Chief Cameraman was like okay, while you’re here do you want to meet the news director and the managers? So, I did, and I had interviews with them too. Then a couple of days later the boss called me and was like, we actually want to offer you a reporting position.”
Since joining CBS, she has brought originality and innovation to local reporting. In lieu of using social media solely as a place to link stories, she has embraced the platform as a direct hotline to viewers. For Ali, it’s all about being accessible.
“I’m younger than a lot of my co-workers, which you know puts me at a disadvantage in some ways in terms of experience. But puts me at an advantage in other ways. Okay, this is something that I have to my advantage, that I’m a little more social media savvy. And that has helped me a ton to get a lot of stories and a lot of like tips and stuff because just having that presence of being on social media, people then feel that you’re accessible.”
This accessible approach to journalism demonstrated itself to be efficient in 2019 when Bauman discovered that New York City's Department of Homeless Services’ new housing program was far from an ideal solution.
The DHS was moving its homeless families out of shelters into New Jersey housing where the city paid a year’s rent. On the surface, it sounded like an adequate resolution. Yet, Bauman discovered that these properties had far from acceptable living conditions, with some properties described as “falling apart.” Because of Ali's findings, the DHS acknowledged their immorality. New York’s Department of Social Services Commissioner, Steven Banks, later testified before the city council and immediately paused the program.
With her incomparable way of cooperating with the community, she has told the stories that truly facilitate and unite the boroughs. For Ali, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Most recently, she covered matters that span many demographics such as New York’s Response Plan for COVID-19 in Schools, how New York restaurants are struggling to survive amid the pandemic, and how New York’s Sanitation Department Budget is being slashed resulting in a mass trash pile up citywide.
In the four years since Ali Bauman has joined CBS New York, she has become one of the network’s most trusted and approachable journalists. She has used her vast knowledge of social media to gain insight into the daily lives of her viewers, understanding what stories will help the most people and doing her part in inspiring change.
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