The Hot Men of TV News: Anchors, Hosts and Reporters on CNN, NBC, and More

While watching a rerun of a South Park episode, I laughed out loud when the girls from the 4th grade class began to giggle and coo about their collective crush on Matt Lauer, handsome host of the Today show. This name drop, coupled with ongoing chat room discussions of Ron Corning and entire fan pages devoted to Anderson Cooper, reminded me that male TV news personalities remain figures of admiration for more than just their on-camera news abilities. With sexual attractiveness in mind, I started thinking about the "Hot Men of TV News" and even informally polled some friends to get their opinions. Here are just a few of the apparent hot men of TV news. I've included a handful of anchors, hosts, and reporters from CNN, NBC, ABC, and CBS - men whose names came up over and over.

Matt Lauer (NBC)
Since 1997, Matt Lauer has been the co-host of NBC's morning news and talk show, Today. Born in New York City in 1957, Matt has come a long way since working as a news producer in West Virginia after he left Ohio University in 1979. Climbing his way up the ranks, Matt eventually landed his spotlight role with NBC and is now famous for bearing the brunt of Tom Cruise's ire during a 2005 interview when the touchy subject of psychiatry came up. Of course, Matt presents serious world news alongside human interest pieces, and as one of the hot men of TV news, he remains especially popular among American housewives. In fact, shortly after his debut on the Today show, People magazine named him among the most beautiful people in the world. His down-to-earth, semi-rugged charms mix with his New York sophistication to make his buzzed head and bright grin the object of much fantasy.

Comments I received from friends about Matt Lauer for "Hot Men of TV News"
- "One word: woof!"
- "Did you see him in spandex at the Olympics? It was hotter than expected."
- "Matt Lauer gets my vote as the hottest man on TV news."
- "I think he'd be playful in bed, a real tiger."
- "Even more than his appearance, it's his TV personality that's hot. I don't know if he's like that in real life."
- "My thoughts of Matt are dreamy and steamy."

Anderson Cooper (CNN)
This Yale-educated journalist has social pedigree: he's the son of Gloria Vanderbilt, the eventual heiress of 19th century railroad wealth. Now serving as the host of Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, the grey-haired, blue-eyed Cooper has done everything from independent journalism in Southeast Asia to reality show hosting on ABC's The Mole. Known for his "personal" brand of reporting, he has connected with many Americans who normally dislike cold-faced news, but he has also drawn criticism for his commentaries. As for his inclusion among Hot Men of TV News, Anderson Cooper has been deemed sexy by both People magazine and Playgirl - and he's also garnered praise for his globetrotting fashion sense. Though he has not officially outed himself, it is widely reported that Cooper is gay. In fact, during a often-cited exchange with Jerry Falwell about gay rights, he reportedly slipped and used the pronoun "we" when referring to the gay community, though transcripts of the dialogue state otherwise.

Comments I received from friends about Anderson Cooper for "Hot Men of TV News":
- "I would definitely hit it."
- "The gray hair works on him, part of that debonair thing, you know?"
- "AC can editorialize all over me."
- "Too much of an urban professional for my taste, but I guess I wouldn't kick him outta bed."
- "This woman I work with has pictures of Anderson Cooper all over her cube."
- "Anderson Cooper is popular with both gay and straight crowds."

Ron Corning (ABC)
If you don't know Ron Corning, it's probably because he goes live during the wee hours of the morning. As the former host of The Daily Buzz and the current anchor of ABC's World News Now, Ron Corning turns heads, even at 3:00am. After all, if the choice is between infomercials and network news hosted by an off-hour hottie, most of us will stop and stare at the hottie. His youthful visage, crisp style, and well-donned glasses give him a sensitive, metrosexual look that has no doubt helped his career and rendered him one of the hot men of TV news. And like Anderson Cooper, Corning is reportedly gay: a number of people in cyberspace claim to have seen him at gay bars during his early days, though these claims are hard to verify. It seems likely that, as he continues to develop his on-air style, Ron Corning's poise and demeanor may propel him out of the overnight news business.

Comments I received from friends about Ron Corning for "Hot Men of TV News":
- "I used to get home from my restaurant job at 2:00am, and I looked forward to seeing this guy."
- "He's got a look that says 'do me hard' and 'rock me gently' at the same time."
- "Ron Corning is well-dressed, but he would look good in a burlap bag."
- "Does he wear Thomas Pink?"
- "He's gotta be gay. It's just that no one cares since he's not doing the Today show. Yet."
- "I need to start waking up really really really early. I forgot how he is."

Brian Williams (NBC)
Throughout most of the 1990s and early 2000s, Brian Williams developed a reputation for reliable TV news by covering major domestic and international issues - including election nights, 9-11, and the Iraq war. When Tom Brokaw retired in 2004, he recommended the witty Williams for the NBC anchor role. Williams maintains a conservative, dapper appearance that appeals to many while his ability to balance seriousness with humor is frequently lauded.

Comments I received from friends about Brian Williams for "Hot Men of TV News":
- "There's some definite cute dad appeal with Brian Williams."
- "I like him best out of the field in a bomber jacket."
- "People don't swoon over him, but I think his celebrity status and his talent can put him on the list of Hot Men in TV News."
- "He's got a dorky handsome look that I dig."

The four hot men of TV news listed above seemed to receive the most attention, at least among the friends and colleagues I polled. Perhaps it's due to their high profiles, as all four either anchor or host a news-related program. However, I would be remiss if I did not include some other names that came up, most of whom are correspondents and reporters. See what my informal panel had to say:

Matthew Chance (CNN): "He's Mr. International. Little bit of a Bond vibe, even though he's a correspondent." AND "I would do Matthew Chance before I'd do any of the anchor guys, honestly."

Nic Robertson (CNN): "Rugged field reporting from war zones. I want to be embedded with him, if you know what I mean."

Dan Abrams (NBC): "Dan covers legal news. I'd say he's as sexy as Ron Corning, just more serious."

Sanjay Gupta (CNN): "Even though he sometimes reports on not-so-hot health news, he's hot himself. Definitely my favorite minority reporter." AND "I would Gupta him over and over."

David Hawkins (CBS): "I don't always see him because I don't watch CBS much anymore, but I think he's hot. Grown-up fratboy type."

Harris Whitbeck (CNN): "I dunno…smarmy but suave?"

John Vause (CNN): "More cute than hot, I guess. He usually covers news in Israel and Palestine."

Do you have comments on these Hot Men of TV News? Or perhaps you have someone to add to the list? Submit your comments on Hot Men of TV News.