Guv's daughter an aspiring journalist

Television viewers sizing up a broadcast journalist's credibility may consider how convincing the reporter is by what she knows, as well as what they know about the reporter.

The latter is an issue Abby Huntsman says she thinks about constantly as she prepares for a career in broadcasting.

Abby, 21, is the second-oldest daughter of Utah's Republican governor, Jon Huntsman Jr.; the granddaughter of industrialist and philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman Sr.; and the great-granddaughter of the late Elder David B. Haight, who was an apostle for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I figure it will probably be hard to pursue a journalism career in Utah because of my dad's job," Abby said. "I have always been a very private person and prefer to keep my background unknown, especially when I first meet people. I want people to get to know me for me, without any strings attached."

That said, Abby believes her family background will give her a valuable resource as a reporter. "I think the best political reporters are those who have had firsthand experiences with the stories they cover."

Abby recently hosted presidential hopeful John McCain at a town meeting at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a senior, chairs the Campus Republicans and is co-host of a student television political talk program, "Penn Red."

Gov. Huntsman was on hand to introduce McCain, and the political event was the focus of the "Penn Red" broadcast that evening.

Abby's experience with broadcast reporting started at the deep end of the pool thanks to a newsroom mix-up. She was 15, with her family living in the Washington, D.C., area, when she landed a weekend job at CBS News.

Young, curious and eager, she walked into the newsroom on her first day and approached a producer, who promptly sent her on assignment. "They thought I was a reporter," Abby said. "They thought I was a lot older than I really was."

The photographer filled her in on the assignment as they drove through a cold rain to the Capitol. "He told me to start thinking of some questions to ask the tourists because it was the first day the Capitol had been opened for tours since 9/11.

"As we got out of the van, he handed me a CBS umbrella to look professional, along with a microphone. I think he could see the fear on my face," Abby said.