By Christine Montanti
For over two decades, millions of viewers have tuned in to News 12 Long Island’s Morning Show to watch Elizabeth Hashagen’s anchor coverage of breaking news stories and historic events. The dynamic 13-time Emmy Award winning journalist has showcased her incomparable reporting style garnering her a position at the network reporting on subjects as diverse as live politics, health, and education, to crime and the pandemic. This also includes the unforgettable moments of Ground Zero on September 11th and the ALS Ride for Life.
Hashagen doubled down on her journalistic duties in 2020 and began covering a live news special report show, The New Normal, weekdays at 9:00 AM while simultaneously anchoring the network’s Morning Show. Recently, the spirited journalist has pivoted into yet another chapter of her career, when she began hosting News 12 LI’s show beWell this past April, an innovative show focusing on health and wellness that airs weekdays at 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM.
The native Long Islander first developed her passion for broadcast journalism at the age of 9 when she watched her father, an FDNY 1 — Underwater Search and Rescue Diver, on TV at the scene of a horrific helicopter crash. From that day forward, Hashagen recognized the power of storytelling and pursued a career in broadcast journalism, receiving her B.A. in Communications and Journalism from SUNY Cortland and studying abroad at the University of North London. She attended graduate school at New York Institute of Technology, studied their LI News Program, and completed an internship with News 12 Long Island’s Morning Show with Carol Silva.
Hashagen was anchoring News 12 Long Island’s Morning Show while she was also working as a certified fitness instructor in the health and wellness industry. She was enthused after receiving the news from producers about the network’s decision to launch beWell with co-host Shannon Lanie. Hashagen explains, “As soon as they started describing this show to me, right away I had a hundred ideas. The show is about financial wellness and relationships too, so it’s not just wellness; it’s all of the different things that matter to you in your life because your health and mental health affect your physical health. We have learned over the years how all of this is interconnected. If you are not connected with your family and you have financial trouble, that kind of spills into your relationships. The show is about how we can live life better and make the most of what we have and have fun along the way!”
The zealous broadcaster wanted to enhance beWell’s content to include important conversations about issues with finance and employment caused by the aftermath of the pandemic since many people were mandated to work from home. “Some people were able to navigate through and excelled from being able to work from home and others had a difficult adjustment. I think these are very important conversations to have about how we are handling where we are now and trying to make the best of each moment!”
Watch Elizabeth Hashagen weekdays on
News 12 Long Island’s beWell 9:00AM and 4:30 PM
Instagram: @elizabethnews12
