Jeffrey Kofman
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Charles Kofman is an ABC News
correspondent covering Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Since joining ABC News in January 2001, Kofman has traveled extensively to report on developing stories and political events in Florida and the Southeast. He has covered every major hurricane of the last seven years and was in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina
hit in 2005.
Kofman has also done six tours in the Middle East since September 11, 2001: four in Iraq, one as an embedded reporter aboard an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea during the Afghan war, and one in Pakistan during the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl
.
While in Iraq, Kofman was embedded with US Marines in the southern part of the country. He also traveled extensively to some of the most troubled regions, including Fallujah and Samarra. In July 2003 Kofman reported on the declining morale of US troops in the region as their tours of duty kept getting extended. The story was picked up by outlets around the world when one soldier called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
to resign.
Kofman has also reported regularly from Latin America and the Caribbean. He spent a month in Haiti in early 2004 when guerillas took control of much of the country. He was the only network television journalist to interview President Jean Bertrand Aristide before the President fled the country. He has also traveled extensively in Colombia and Cuba.
Kofman’s work for ABC News has won him an Edward R. Murrow
Award, a duPont Award, and he shared a special Emmy Award for ABC’s coverage of the attacks on September 11, 2001. He received two Emmy nominations in 2007.
Kofman came to ABC News from CBS News
, where he was a correspondent in the network's New York Bureau.
Before joining CBS, Kofman was a correspondent at CBC Television
in Toronto
. During his 11 years at the CBC, he was host of an award-winning weekly current affairs program, anchor of the CBC's Toronto newscast, a network radio host, and sub-anchor for the CBC's flagship nightly network newscast, The National. He has won several major Canadian journalism awards, including the National Media Human Rights Award for a ground-breaking 1987 CBC documentary on AIDS discrimination. He began his television career at Global Television News in Toronto in 1982.
Kofman speaks French and Spanish. Born in Toronto
, he is a graduate of Upper Canada College
and then Queen's University
in Kingston, Ontario
, where he studied political science.
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
correspondent covering Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Since joining ABC News in January 2001, Kofman has traveled extensively to report on developing stories and political events in Florida and the Southeast. He has covered every major hurricane of the last seven years and was in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
hit in 2005.
Kofman has also done six tours in the Middle East since September 11, 2001: four in Iraq, one as an embedded reporter aboard an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea during the Afghan war, and one in Pakistan during the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
.
While in Iraq, Kofman was embedded with US Marines in the southern part of the country. He also traveled extensively to some of the most troubled regions, including Fallujah and Samarra. In July 2003 Kofman reported on the declining morale of US troops in the region as their tours of duty kept getting extended. The story was picked up by outlets around the world when one soldier called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
to resign.
Kofman has also reported regularly from Latin America and the Caribbean. He spent a month in Haiti in early 2004 when guerillas took control of much of the country. He was the only network television journalist to interview President Jean Bertrand Aristide before the President fled the country. He has also traveled extensively in Colombia and Cuba.
Kofman’s work for ABC News has won him an Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
Award, a duPont Award, and he shared a special Emmy Award for ABC’s coverage of the attacks on September 11, 2001. He received two Emmy nominations in 2007.
Kofman came to ABC News from CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, where he was a correspondent in the network's New York Bureau.
Before joining CBS, Kofman was a correspondent at CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. During his 11 years at the CBC, he was host of an award-winning weekly current affairs program, anchor of the CBC's Toronto newscast, a network radio host, and sub-anchor for the CBC's flagship nightly network newscast, The National. He has won several major Canadian journalism awards, including the National Media Human Rights Award for a ground-breaking 1987 CBC documentary on AIDS discrimination. He began his television career at Global Television News in Toronto in 1982.
Kofman speaks French and Spanish. Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, he is a graduate of Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
and then Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, where he studied political science.