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T hirty-one-year-old journalist Tom Hanson has never been able to predict his next big step — whether it was finding himself, fresh out of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, standing in for Anderson Cooper during the 2012 election or landing a coveted correspondent role for Channel One News (a Peabody Award-winning, teen-focused daily news program that launched the careers of Lisa Ling, Maria Menounos, and, coincidentally, Anderson Cooper). He certainly never anticipated a 2022 move from New York City to Dallas, where he serves as weeknight anchor for the recently launched CBS News Now, a hybrid local/ national newscast that could well become a model for all major networks in the future. "It's been a really unpredictable but cool path," Hanson says. But it hasn't always been smooth sailing. His first big break at Channel One News came to an abrupt end when Channel One shut down in June 2018. "I was tethered to the Titanic," he says. "The string quartet was playing." Fortunately, CBS came calling with a role that ultimately led to CBS News Now. Headquartered at the KTVT/KTXA studios in Fort Worth and broadcast nationwide to cities including Miami and San Francisco, the experimental concept was created to bridge the gap between CBS's local news stations and the main network. "We leverage the reach of local stations' investigative teams who are really pounding the pavement, finding the stories, and doing a vital amount of newsgathering for the network," Hanson says. "We're showcasing those reporters while also giving the national news." As for why CBS launched its concept in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Hanson says, "Why not? Journalists right now are met with such skepticism for not having their finger on the pulse. What better place to be than the heart of the country." He understands the importance of transparency better than most. "Living authentically and gay, that's something I have always tried to fold into my reporting, to make sure we don't lose sight of a wide variety of voices," he says, citing Don Lemon, Sam Champion, and, of course, Anderson Cooper for paving the way. And as for how he feels about Dallas, the welcoming city has made Hanson feel right at home. "Everything I loved about New York I've found here," he says. "The people, the food, the art, the going-out scene … I just have a car now." The New Face of the News By Caitlin Clark. Portrait Christopher Sonny Martinez. Anchor Tom Hanson beams into 100,000 homes across the country every night — all the way from Fort Worth. 48