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A willingness to share her personalexperiences about taboo subjects has setJeannie apart from others in the industry, andher genuine love of reporting the news hasproduced some compelling projects forwhich she has won 16 Emmys, multipleAssociated Press awards, several nationalEdward R. Murrow awards and a Peabody.

Ask which award means most to her,however, and you’ll get an unexpectedlymodest answer. “e best of all is being ableto be a reporter, and being a mom and beinga wife.”

Being a mom was one of the challengingpersonal experiences Jeannie shared with heraudience. When she opened up about thedifficulty she had conceiving a child, shereceived many calls from viewers who said,“ank you for bringing this out in the open.It gives us the courage to think we’re notweird.”

For more than 25 years, viewers of WTLV Channel 12 have invited Jeannie Blaylockinto their homes and hearts. As co-anchor of the First Coast News at 5 p.m. and First CoastNews Healthwatch reporter, Jeannie has covered tragedies and triumphs with compassion,insight and professionalism.

Now, a wife and the mother of 17-year-old twins, who will graduate high schoolsoon, and a stepdaughter, who is in college,Jeannie’s life is full.

Family! sat down to talk to this localtreasure about life on the First Coast, hercareer as a broadcast journalist and a projectthat is near and dear to her heart, BuddyCheck 12.What does family mean to you?

Family is the nest. It’s being able to gohome and know that people love you, nomatter what. Like Barbara Bush said, ‘At theend of the road, you won’t remember the dealthat you sealed, or the title you earned or thedegree that you got. What you’ll rememberis the time you spent with a grandchild or thetime you spent at the ballgame.’ at’s thetreasure. Nothing can beat that.

What were the challenges of raising a familywhile pursuing a career?

I used to feel guilty about working, andthen as my children got a little bit older, Irealized when I’m home, I’m really home. Weare always together. When they were little, Iread to them constantly. e time was soquality that I learned not to feel guilty.Why did you choose to raise your childrenon the First Coast?

My mom was scared to death my kidswould be eaten by alligators when we movedhere! I had to assure her that we would bealright.

I think Florida is beautiful. When mykids were little, I used to take them out to thebeach, and I’d take watercolors and let thempaint the sand, and we built drip castles. Itwas just a fun place to raise children.

Also, I’m a very traditional, conservativeperson, and I appreciate the values here. Ithink the people really believe in families.When did you know you wanted to be abroadcast news reporter?

Actually, I was scared to death to standup in front of anyone and speak. at would

By Laura Hampton

Jeannie Blaylock

and Buddy ChecksOn Family, Career

Photo courtesy of Snappy Shots by Bev

HERITAGE PUBLISHING, INC. © 2012 Family! | 31

turn my stomach. So, in college they forcedme. I had to take a public speaking class. Ihad to do a speech on how to do something.So, like an idiot, I chose how to do awatercolor painting. I dropped water on thefloor, I got lost, and so I said, “Can I startover?” at immediately docked my grade toa B, and it got worse from there. I thought,I’m not going to let this get me, and I went backand wrote another speech on the rights of thenon-smoking majority. I won the wholefreshman speech contest, and I fell in lovewith it. en, I started doing radio and TV,and it went on from there.What drives you as a reporter?

I’d like to think I could make adifference. It is not trite to say, “You couldsave somebody’s life,” and people use thephrase, “If I could just help one person.” It’snot overused. It’s important.

I really enjoy everybody I meet. I’ve doneprojects all over the place, and if that canmove someone, or touch someone, then I justfeel blessed.What has been the highlight of your careerto date?

at’s a tough question. I can’t just pickone. If I had to go back, and I were only giventhe right to do one more thing again—or forlonger—it would definitely be Buddy Check.It’s simple, but it’s powerful.How did Buddy Check 12 get started?

When I moved to Florida, my bestfriend, Kaye, was 29. She was expecting herfirst baby and she went to her doctor andsaid, “I have a lump in my breast.” He pattedher on the shoulder and said, “Oh honey,you’re too young for breast cancer; don’tworry about it.” So, she didn’t. She wentthrough her pregnancy, and then she died.at was really hard for me to deal with; Icouldn’t believe that happened.

I don’t believe in irony, because I havefaith. I kept going to these interviews and Ikept running into women who had breastcancer, and they’d say, “Why aren’t youtalking about this on TV?”

I called my mom, and I said, “Mom, whydon’t we pick a day of the month and we’llremind each other to do our self-exams. Mymom was like, “Oh no, I can’t touch myself;that’s nasty.” She grew up with Lucy andDesi Arnaz sleeping in separate beds, so itwas all new to her.

en I went over to Baptist MedicalCenter and met a nurse who had breastcancer, and she said, “Women are really hungup on this, because they don’t understandwhat breast cancer would feel like.” She gotout a walnut and a peppermint and someother objects and said, “is is what breastcancer feels like usually.” All of a sudden Ithought, is clicks for me. is is how weshould explain it.

So we brainstormed with BaptistMedical Center, and we thought, Let’s put thison TV.How does the Buddy Check 12 programwork?

You get a buddy, put the stickers fromyour Buddy Check kit on your calendar andeach month you remind your buddy to do abreast self-exam. If you find a lump that’sdifferent, especially if it’s hard like a bead, ora walnut, or an M&M, you have it checkedout. It’s really not hard to detect breast cancerearly, if you check faithfully every month.How has the program helped women on theFirst Coast?

It’s saved, literally, hundreds of lives. Iquit counting at 387, and that was years ago.Men too—one percent of breast cancerpatients are men.Buddy Check 12 is celebrating 20 years in2012. What plans do you have for the 20thanniversary?

We’re giving refrigerator magnets thatsay, “Who’s Your Buddy?” to thousands ofhigh school girls. e girls can writemessages like, “Mom, I love you, and I reallywant you to stay alive.” Girls need to startchecking at age 20, so we’re trying to teachthem that they’re going to be moving intothat age range quickly. We’ll also havewindow stickers. So, when you’re at astoplight, there’ll be thousands of cars aroundthe First Coast that say “Who’s YourBuddy?”What does it mean to you, to be a part of thisprogram for 20 years?

It makes you want to stand up and cheerfor every woman on the First Coast, becausewe are the pioneers of the entire concept ofgetting a buddy and catching breast cancerearly. People weren’t doing this around thecountry. Not as a program. Not in any wayorganized. Not until Jacksonville said, “Hey,we’re gonna do it.” Women took it on as amission here and spread it around the world.

To request 20th anniversary windowstickers for your car or magnets for your school orcivic organization, email Jeannie Blaylock atjblaylock@firstcoastnews.com. To order freeBuddy Check 12 kits, call 202-CARE.

Quick QuestionsWhere’s your favorite spot on the FirstCoast?My husband proposed to me on Feb. 15in St. Augustine Beach, so I’m verysentimental about St. Augustine.What book are you currently reading?My favorite book will always have to bethe Bible. It’s always full of wisdom andpeace.Who is your hero/heroine?My hero is my husband, Bill, because heputs up with my crazy schedule. He’sthe most patient man alive and also themost enthusiastic Gator/Jaguar fan.

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