HLN anchor Kyra Phillips calls this her first political convention “on the inside.”
“Being on the floor, interacting with the delegates — I’ve covered conventions before as an anchor, as a correspondent, with regard to policy and the speeches and the politicians, but this is my first time actually at the convention, on the floor, talking to the people and getting all the personal stories,” Phillips told TVNewser this afternoon. “This is a totally different ballgame. Way more fun, way more interesting.”
Phillips does one live shot an hour from HLN’s stand-up location, which is just behind the Texas delegation on the convention floor. To keep things fresh, her hits are a combination of pre-planned segments and things she grabs on the fly, like the interview she did in the NoonET hour with the Oak Ridge Boys (pictured), who will perform tonight.
“I am staying away from policy and politicians and focusing on people and how they are engaged in the process,” she said. “For me, I love conversation. I love learning about people. Characters fascinate me. It feels like it’s not even working, it’s not even a job.”
And there is a special part of this convention for Phillips: her husband, Fox News Channel senior national correspondent John Roberts, has a stand-up location just a few yards away.
“I will say it is really neat having my husband here. We’re at different networks, different perspectives — he’s covering more of the politics, while I’m covering more of the people — but it is really special,” Phillips said. “Besides, he’s the one who comes and fixes my hair before a live shot!”
Related: Phillips talks about what is coming for her new HLN show, once the conventions are done.