David Bloom Dies

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<Mi3ke>

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NBC Journalist dies in Iraq

Prominent NBC journalist dies in Iraq
BAGHDAD -- David Bloom, the prominent NBC News journalist who was covering the war in Iraq, died suddenly of a non-combat ailment while on duty.
Described as "dedicated, tenacious and talented," the 10-year NBC veteran suffered a pulmonary embolism.
The 39-year-old Minnesota native would have been 40 years old next month.
"We have lost one of our very very best," said Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press.
Co-anchor of the weekend editions of "Today" since March 2000, Bloom, who joined NBC in 1993, has covered major stories for the network, including the violence in Israel, the war on terror and recovery efforts at the recovery efforts from Ground Zero.
The news comes on the heels of the death of the first U.S. journalist in the war, Michael Kelly. He was a Washington Post columnist and Atlantic Monthly editor-at-large. He was embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, was killed Thursday night.
Before he became an anchor, Bloom had been a White House correspondent, covering the Republican presidential race for NBC News.
He "reported from the White House for NBC News broadcasts, including "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today," MSNBC, NBC's 24-hour news and information network, and CNBC," according to a biography on MSNBC.com.
Since 1995, he had been a Los Angeles-based correspondent, reporting on the Unabomber, the Freeman standoff, the war in Bosnia, Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign, and the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials.
Before joining NBC, he had been a general assignment and investigative reporter for WTVJ, the NBC-owned television station in Miami, since November 1989.
He is the co-recipient of the 1992 George Foster Peabody Award and an RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award for his coverage of Hurricane Andrew and was awarded a 1991 Regional Emmy for investigative journalism for his report on South Florida's role in the shipment of arms to Iraq.
He attended Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. from 1981 to 1985. A native of Edina, Minn., Bloom and his wife, Melanie, have three daughters.
 

HighDef

Well-known member
My utmost respects and prayers go out to David and his family. I had the oppurtunity to meet David in DC, during the Sniper story. He was truly someone to envy. His relentless reporting on major stories around the states (and onward) always had me tuning in. It's hard to wake up to a story like this on Sunday morning. It's even harder to fathom the news of how he died.
 

b-roll

Administrator
Staff member
I, too, must add my condolences to the Bloom family. I was always impressed with the passion that David Bloom seemed to have for his proffession. My thoughts go out to everyone who knew and worked with him.

kev
 

Lensmith

Member
David worked in Miami during the years I was there. A great guy who had goals and wasn't afraid to go after them.

I can't express the sadness, seeing someone so young and talented, having their life end too early.

My wife worked with him at WTVJ in Miami as well. Our family offers our prayers to his family during this difficult, unfair, turn of events.

Fate can be cruel. We should all appreciate what we have and not take life for granted.
 

David R. Busse

Well-known member
A damned shame. David was one of our Camp OJ stalwarts here in LA several years ago.

I've now lost two colleagues in the Persian Gulf.
Both were hard-chargers and (unfortunately) husbands and dads. You gotta ask yourself if it was all worth it...
 

Cambot Mk. II

Well-known member
I never had the opportunity to meet David, but I was very impressed by his appearances on the M-88 in the opening days of the war, and even more so once his group went into combat.

My condolences to his family and to Craig, his photographer. David seemed to be the type who really considered his photographer a true partner and I can't imagine how hard it is right now for Craig.
 

mknisely

Well-known member
I debated whether or not to post this but I felt I should share a story of a man who told so many.

While back east I had a chance to sit down and share a large fruit platter from room service with David. He noticed me sitting in the hall an hour earlier and sat down right beside me just to shoot the breeze.

"Why are you sitting out here," he said. I replied, "My Field Producer and Reporter are tracking..." He laughed and said, "I hate when they do that!"

An hour later I was getting ready to sit down for a snack in my room and down the hall walked David. I invited him into to my room and he said he needed to get away from the noise within his suite. For more than an hour we shared nice conversation about life, our families, and of course the business. I'll never forget that snack over the apples, pineapples, and kiwi; what a wonderful man.

To bring this story full circle, I was out Friday evening in Edina and met his brother just in passing.

I can not imagine what his family and even all of the families of the loved and lost are going thru, but they should rest assured our thoughts and preyers go out to them during this time. May god be with all of them.
 

KahunaPhotog

Well-known member
A Soilder fights...
A Medic heals...
A General plans...

A Reporter talks...

One of the worlds finest reporters was silenced and many will miss him. The spirit in which David Bloom carried himself and the professionalism he worked in his career is something we should all strive for. My thoughts and prayers go out to David Bloom's family.
 
C

<CJ>

Guest
I was debating whether to post or just sit back and read about Mr. Blooms passing, but i guess i will post. As a future reporter/photog, i am extremly sadden by this tradegy. From what I could gather from watching TV he was a great guy. I will miss his reports from the front lines here in the states or abroad. From what I have read I want to be just like him. I love traveling and reporting. It is just something in us that we must tell a story somehow. He did a remarkable job at what he did. I feel so sorry for Craig, and his family. David Bloom's reports always amazed me. I just hope he got to see some of his reports from the front lines because they were absolutly amazing!

But lets not forget about the solders who also died defending freedom. They are defending our country and he was just explaining what is going on. Take care Mr. Bloom, we will all miss you.
 
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