Paul Blume

paul.blume@foxtv.com

Emmy-award winning Reporter Paul Blume first arrived on the scene of FOX 9 News in May of 2007, and became a permanent member of the news team a year-and-a-half later.

Paul hails from the Boston suburbs, but has called the Upper Midwest home for almost a decade. He started his broadcast journalism career at the FOX affiliate in Dubuque, Iowa before reporting at stations in Anchorage, Alaska, Madison, Wisconsin, and then Milwaukee.

In 2004, Paul and his close friend and photojournalist, Sam Sorenson embedded with a Wisconsin National Guard unit in Iraq. Their reports gave viewers a real-life look at war and the rebuilding effort through the eyes of our citizen soldiers. The assignment took them from U.S. bases in Kuwait to the “spider hole” in Tikrit where American troops captured Saddam Hussein. The pair produced an hour-long documentary that earned prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow and Emmy awards.

Paul is an avid sports fan who grew up playing baseball. When he wasn’t on the diamond himself, his childhood summers were filled with weekend afternoons at Fenway Park where he cheered on his beloved Red Sox. He is very excited to watch the Twins play in their new stadium, although you may find him in the stands with a Sox cap on when Boston is in town.

In addition, Paul also enjoys travelling, working out, waterskiing and spending time with family and friends. He loves meeting interesting people and finding compelling stories along the way. If you have some thoughts and ideas, or a news tip you would like to share, he looks forward to hearing from you.

What was your favorite story to work on?

Definitely, the embed assignment in Iraq. We spent months on that project, including a couple weeks on the ground in the war zone. It gave us the opportunity to tell some incredible stories and provided our viewers an all-access look at life in the military for our citizen soldiers.

Are you on Facebook?

Yes… Friends include family and close friends.

What’s on your iPod?

I have quite the mix on my Shuffle including Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, ColdPlay, Prince and some fun hits from the ‘80’s.

Five people (dead or alive) you would most want to have dinner with? What would the meal be?

Jackie Robinson
Walter Cronkite
Abraham Lincoln
FDR
Martin Luther King, Jr.

What would the meal be?

As for the meal, I would try to convince the group to do sushi. If not, we are either having my mom’s marinated steak or her brisket.

Favorite TV shows/Movies?

TV shows – 24, The Wire, Law & Order, West Wing, Seinfeld and the BBC’s Masterchef

Movies – Field of Dreams, Hoosiers, Back to the Future, The Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator and The Bourne trilogy

Favorite sports team?

The Red Sox and New England Patriots are still my favourites, and I was a huge fan of Kevin McHale’s great Boston Celtic teams of the 1980’s. Now, you will often find me in the crowd rooting on the Twins, the Vikes and the Wild.

Hometown

Lexington, Massachusetts… where the first shot was fired in the Revolutionary War.

College

I graduated from Bates College in Maine with a degree in Political Science.

When did you join FOX 9?

I first joined the station in May, 2007, and became a permanent member of the news team in October, 2008.

Biggest pet peeves?

When we arrive on the scene of a story, and someone says, “Boy, it must be a slow news day.”

Guilty pleasures?

A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard at Dairy Queen.