Susan Hirasuna
Susan Hirasuna
Susan Hirasuna (born June 9, 1959) is a news anchor, reporter, and foodie. She presently works for Fox 11 in Los Angeles, California. [1]
Early Life & Education
Susan Hirasuna was born in Encino, California and raised in Simi Valley. [1]
She went to school in UC Santa Barbara and the University of Southern California. She studied Communication & Media Studies and Journalism at those respective universities.
Career
KCRA & WLVI
In 1988, Susan Hirasuna began her career in broadcasting.
She started at the Sacramento-based NBC affiliate KCRA-TV. She stayed there until 1992.
Subsequently, she began reporting for WLVI, a CW-affiliated television network. She stayed there until 1995.
KTTV (Fox 11 Los Angeles)
Susan Hirasuna reports on JTYH restaurant in Rosemead
In December 1995, she accepted a position at KTTV, a Fox-owned network based in Los Angeles. Her most memorable moments at the anchor desk include the death of Princess Diana, the Northridge wild fires and the 2008 Chatsworth train accident. [1]
Originally, she started off as a weekend anchor.
Since 2011, she has co-hosted the weekend edition of Studio 11 LA.
In 2012, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Hirasuna traveled to Japan on a fellowship fellowship. Afterward, she spent time covering stories of the people's resilience and fortitude of the natural disaster. [1]
In the same year, she interviewed Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She declared that her favorite interview of all time. [1]
She has also showed her interest in food on the network.
She has a series called See Susan's Secret where she spotlights the talents of well-known bartenders and celebrity chefs. [1]
Center for the Pacific Asian Family
Susan Hirasuna receives a token of appreciation from Roselma Samala for her work as Culinary Chair of the CPAF
In addition to her efforts in journalism, she is also the Culinary Chair for the CPAF.
Since 2014, she has recruited executive chefs from dozens of premier restaurants as as well as collaborate with them to help serve food and time for fundraisers.
Awards & Accomplishments
While working for Fox 11, Hirasuna's work has been recognized.
She has nominated for an Emmy multiple times for her half-hour specials for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
She has also received nominations for:
Feature reporting and team coverage of the Metrolink crash
Outstanding Evening Newscast
Best Anchoring (in Boston, while she was working with WLVI)
Hirasuna is a long time member of the Asian American Journalists Association and is a current board member. [1]
Personal Life
Susan Hirasuna is the cousin of Laura Shipp, one of the victims of the Mandalay Bay Resort shooting that happened in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. She was shot and killed at the age of 50.
When she heard about her cousin's death, she took to social media to write multiple posts about her.
The first one discusses when she found out that she lost a loved one in the attack and how it related to her career as a journalist:
Sometimes as a journalist I feel like I'm a purveyor of sadness. Today the sadness is my own. This is a photo of my cousin and her son at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. He is safe. My cousin Laura was missing but I was told today she is dead. She was fun and funny with an enviable relationship with her son Corey. Rest In Peace dear Laura Shipp.