2008 Louisiana Role Model

Sylvia Weatherspoon attended Louisiana State University and studied broadcast journalism. She can be seen evenings at 5, 6 and 10 o’clock co-anchoring the news on WBRZ News 2 Louisiana where she has been employed since 1993. Additional career experience includes her tenure as a radio news reporter, and News Director at WJBO-WF MF Radio in Baton Rouge.

Sylvia’s community has not failed to recognize her calm and deliberate delivery of the news nor her dedication to health and community issues. Most recently she received the 2008 NAACP Community Service Award. She was voted Best News Anchor by 225 Magazine and awarded the 2008 Excellence in Medical Journalism Award in Television Broadcasting for her health segment, “Reduce Your Risk”.  The series focused on heart disease and obesity in Louisiana. During the same year she received The Laurie Smith Anderson Award for Excellence in Healthcare Reporting from the Arthritis Association of Louisiana and The Louisiana Associated Press second-place Best Spot News award for her report on a house fire, “In Just Minutes”. Sylvia won third place for a report covering an accident on the Mississippi River Bridge, “Miracle on the Mississippi.”  She is also the recipient of the 2007 Women in Media Award of Excellence

She is a member of the Junior League of Baton Rouge, and serves on the Advisory Council; Executive Board member of the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic; The Paula G. Manship YMCA; and the Executive Board of Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area.  She has volunteered countless hours in many community projects including as narrator for Louisiana Voices, a reading program for the visually impaired and working with Master Gardeners to install flower beds for Habitat for Humanity homes. As a voice-over talent, Sylvia has voiced and appeared in numerous local and national documentaries, and commercials.

Sylvia resides in Baton Rouge with her husband and two children. In her spare time she enjoys vacationing with her family, gardening, and Bible study.