Mark Sudol is a familiar face to those getting their local news from TV. A reporter for News 12 Connecticut for the past 16 years, Sudol has earned accolades for his work. He is a multi Emmy and Murrow award winner.
“I think the thing I like most about what I do is keeping people informed and giving people the news,” Sudol said in a recent interview with The Sun. “Every new story has a different zing to it.”
Many of Sudol’s stories have been reported in Monroe.
Sudol became interested in journalism at an early age. He went on to graduate from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. degree in broadcast journalism and now has over three decades of experience in the field.
To be a good journalist, one has to know how to go about finding interesting stories to report on. According to Sudol, a variety of things may serve to inform him about possible stories, including special contacts or any viewers who may call in.
“It’s all about building relationships with people,” he said.
Sudol noted that even social media can play a part in providing a story. “It’s amazing how it can snowball,” he said of stories coming from posts online.
Sudol is always sure to look out for recent developments in order to keep the public informed, and sometimes there is breaking news to report on.
“We had noticed there was a fire on I-95, and we immediately jumped into action,” he said as he recalled an instance of breaking news that took place on May 2, 2024.
Sudol was referring to the fiery crash involving a tractor trailer at the Fairfield Avenue overpass in Norwalk. News 12’s team captured footage of the inferno and billowing black smoke surrounding the truck, as well as onlookers recording video on their cellphones nearby.
News 12’s cameras also captured emergency vehicles responding to the scene with sirens blaring, as well as firefighters battling the flames from the gasoline fire.
Their report also updated viewers about the impact on traffic and when authorities expected to reopen that section of highway.
While a speedy response enabled Sudol’s station to bring news live to their viewers as it was happening, Sudol said it’s important not to sacrifice accuracy for being first when reporting on a story.
For example, during national elections Sudol said he obtains information from reliable sources, such as CNN or the Associated Press. “You don’t want to jump the gun and look foolish,” he said.
Starting Out
Early on, Sudol said he knew he enjoyed reporting. In college, he was a part of a radio show, served as a correspondent for the Hartford Whalers, a professional hockey team that once played in Connecticut, and wrote for UConn’s newspaper, The Daily Campus.
“There was a time when I had three to four jobs,” he said of his early days as a reporter.
For a while, he did a lot of editing, producing and writing, before eventually working with News 12 as a freelancer, then subsequently being hired full-time. Sudol attributes much of his success as a reporter to his time on a radio show in college, which helped him learn to describe things accurately and in depth.
Sudol said there are a lot of opportunities for careers in journalism right now. He advises anyone, who is interested to look for internships and opportunities to experience what it is like to work in the field.
“The biggest thing is getting your foot in the door,” he said.
Favorite Stories
Sudol has several favorite stories, but there are two that stick out the most to him. One is a story on MMA fighter, Nick “Notorious” Newell, who was born with congenital amputation of his left arm, which ends just below his elbow.
The fighter has a short, yet muscular stump of a forearm, which he learned to grasp objects with from a young age. Sudol said some other fighters took Newell lightly due to his appearance early on in his career … to their own peril.
“He was not messing around,” Sudol recalled of one of Newell’s matches. “He won the fight in under two minutes.”
This story won Sudol his first Emmy.
The other story was one Sudol did on Wynston Browne, a Westport teen with non-speaking autism and apraxia, a neurological disorder affecting the ability to plan and execute purposeful movements, such as speaking, waving or making facial expressions.
Sudol reported on how Browne had learned to use a keyboard to communicate, which consequently changed his life.
According to Sudol, Browne was then able to advocate for himself at a school board meeting, and everyone finally became aware of his remarkable intelligence.
“It was a really emotional story, the fact that his family agreed to do this with us is incredible,” Sudol recalled.
Sudol’s story won a Murrow Award, named after legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow.
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