1. What sparked your interest in journalism? What types of jobs have you had?

Hansen: I grew up in a family that watched the evening news during dinner.  I always read a daily newspaper, I had my own darkroom and I wrote for my high school paper.  At UC San Diego, I gravitated toward documentary films and photography, even putting together a one-man show at Mandeville Center.

Professionally, I’ve been a television news reporter for 25 years in Missouri, Florida, Kentucky and San Diego.  In Louisville, I also worked as a freelance reporter for National Public Radio.  I’ve been a professional photographer and I was the voice of Lindbergh Field, doing the paging for the airport.

2. How did you get involved with consumer reporting?

Hansen: I started as a general assignment reporter, covering crimes, courts and occasionally a fun feature story.  I didn’t turn to consumer reporting until I was hired at KFMB, Channel 8 in San Diego.  The news director thought it would make a good fit and I’ve never looked back.  Between KFMB and NBC 7/39, I’ve been a consumer reporter for 19 years.

3. What’s the best part of your job as “Consumer Bob” at NBC 7/39?

Hansen: The “Consumer Bob” nickname started as a joke between a show producer and myself.  Then one of the anchors called me that name on the air and it stuck.  I don’t mind since it makes me sound more approachable, not the angry troubleshooter type.  I enjoy the fact that I report on stories that impact people’s lives, from the latest technology to money saving tips to the current scams.

4. If you weren’t a reporter, what other profession would you have chosen?

Hansen: Well, I still carry my old Leica camera nearly everywhere I go.  I’d have to say if I weren’t a news reporter, I’d switch from being in front of the camera to behind the viewfinder.

5. Why did you choose to attend UC San Diego and what did you like best about being a student here?

Hansen: I actually transferred to UC San Diego my junior year.  I went to a community college in Los Angeles and then worked for a newspaper in Houston, Texas.  I was a copyboy by day and an Associated Press photography stringer by night.  The managing editor at the newspaper encouraged me to finish my education and I just kept thinking about UC San Diego.  There was nothing even close to a journalism program but I was looking for the academic challenge and found it.  From the perspective of a student in the humanities, the atmosphere was casual but smart.

6. How did your education at UC San Diego prepare you for your career as a journalist?

Hansen: I attended graduate school at the University of Missouri, one of the finest journalism programs in the country, and I have to say, I learned as much about writing in my creative writing classes at UC San Diego as I did at Mizzou.  Professor Reinhard Lettau was an inspiration in teaching both writing and critical thinking.  Professor Herb Schiller helped me look at my own profession with a skeptical eye.  In all, UC San Diego provided the groundwork I needed to build a future.

Fun Faves

Favorite UC San Diego memory: The lights going out and the projector running in a Jean-Pierre Gorin film appreciation class

Favorite subject in college:
History of photography

Favorite place on campus:
A corner of the library with a stack of photography books

Favorite place on Earth:
Sitting on a surfboard while the sun comes up in Cardiff

Favorite food: Spring rolls from Saffron and rolled tacos from Roberto’s

Favorite hobby: I still play volleyball and surf every week like I did at UC San Diego, just not as well.

Favorite quote: “You need two things to survive in this world, a thick skin and a quick wit.”

 

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