Laura Coates - CNN
Since the show's launch, I have led the booking team. Every day I work closely with the Executive Producer to find the best stories, guests and elements. In addition, I have executed a series of special projects including a series on exonerated people and Laura's jury box where she talks to regular citizen about legal cultural stories to get the pulse of the people. Laura's show has also become the place to go for breaking news. We have added many additional hours of breaking news programming at the last minute on everything from space shuttle re-entry to Iranian retaliatory strikes in Israel.
Best of "Laura Coates Live"
Laura is passionate about telling the stories of underserved communities. We arranged for her to travel to Riker’s Island and visit with inmates accompanied by actress and activist Lala Anthony. We also arranged for Laura to fly on Air Force 2 with Vice President Harris for a candid conversation about abortion legislation. In addition, Laura spoke with one of the Central Park 5, who was falsely accused of assault in what became a flashpoint in New York City. He has been proven innocent and gone on to hold public office, proving every story should be heard.
LaLa Anthony Takes Us Inside Rikers Island
Lala Anthony runs a charity called ThreeSixty, which provides mentoring and support for inmates on Rikers Island. She took us inside this infamous prison to give a unique look at the program and the inmates who are looking for a second chance. To get permission to take cameras into Rikers Island was a feat itself. At multiple points in the negotiation process the prison directors tried to block our entry but I persisted and the resulting story was incredibly inspiring. After her visit, Laura also spoke to one of the graduates of the program for an even more heartwarming moment.