Catching up with Jennifer McLogan, WCBS/2's veteran Long Island reporter (who's sort-of retiring)

While her husband Dan is driving, Jennifer McLogan is on Zoom, as the flat winter landscape of New Jersey flashes by. She's heading south to see her extended family but we need to talk — like, right now — because the almost-unthinkable has happened. This most quintessential of Long Island TV reporters, this 32-year veteran of WCBS, is retiring (sort of).

Not leaving Ch. 2 — an important distinction, she insists — but rather leaving the daily crush of news, deadlines, missed dinners and family reunions (like the one she's on her way to).

She'll still do occasional stories, but finally, a little me-time, which McLogan has had precious little in recent decades. Along with Carolyn Gusoff — who covered Long Island for WNBC/4 during the '90s and joined Ch. 2 on the LI beat in 2012 — she's been one of New York TV's most prolific Long Island reporters since she started covering it in 1993. You could assemble an unbroken collage of local history from her countless clips — a dark history at times, but also a joyous one. (Traffic wouldn't be ignored, nor would snow, a McLogan passion.) 

This Flint, Michigan, native began her broadcasting career in Boston (first radio, then TV), joined Ch. 2 in 1982, then in 1984, became a correspondent for NBC News. In 1989, she went to CBS's WBBM in Chicago and rejoined WCBS in 1993.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What's your new role exactly?

Starting January, I'll be going part-time. Two or three days a week and as the new year rolls in, we'll firm up those days.

Why retire, or at least step back?

Because of my three children. The eldest and her husband have a baby now, who's two years old. Just want to spend more time with them. I've missed a lot of that through the years. [Daughter Elle covers Queens for Ch. 2, while the oldest, Emily, is a federal prosecutor, and son, Teddy, works in restaurants in Charleston, S.C.]

How did the Long Island beat come about?   

Back in the early '90s, Abby Kenigsberg of the Long Island Coalition for Fair Broadcasting was horrified that Long Island was [only] known for Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher and she wanted more coverage — and that's why I was hired. When I was back in New York, living in Garden City, maybe two blocks from the Merillon Avenue [LIRR] station, the phone rings — our assignment editor saying there was a CBS employee on a train who had called in to say there had been a shooting on the train ...[McLogan was the first TV reporter on scene of the Dec. 7, 1993 LIRR massacre.]

I was able to go down to Florida and spend a day with [former congresswoman] Carolyn McCarthy before she died [on June 26]. She was absolutely wonderful, gracious, and we relived a lot of those memories. [McCarthy's husband was killed and son seriously injured in the attack.]

How do you handle the flow of terrible news — or avoid burnout?

I actually try to put myself out [of the story] for a moment while I'm talking and I almost have to tell myself 'this isn't real' and 'I'll deal with it when I get home.' I just try to just stay strong during those moments, to try to give any kind of support these families need. There are a lot of times when it's therapeutic for people to talk, and they want to talk, and we're there to listen, to try to make a little bit of a difference in their lives, to try to make the world a little bit of a better place, and have confidence and hope and love.

Any other coping mechanisms?

I try to decompress. I love my long walks, or going for a jog for at least an hour, and just thinking about the day — -what happened? How has this changed me? What have I learned from this experience? How can I go forward?

Let me guess — your happy stories have to do with snow?

I love weather stories. [Also] getting up in the middle of the night and being on the air at 3 a.m., [and] to be spontaneous. I just love to be thrown into chaos. But of course, I love a story that can make a difference — a feature on a great human being out there touching us all. [It's] wonderful to be part of this community after so many decades.

What have you learned about LIers over these years?

They have great pride — in their sports, their schools, the community, even in their endearing Long Island accent. Every single Main Street has so much to offer, and you go into that community and everyone is excited and proud of their little niche.

What's next for you besides work?

I love theater, sports and I have a lot of hobbies but I still want to be plugged into the [Long Island] community, and make a difference in a small way.