Short questions with Dana Perino for William La Jeunesse

You've seen us on screen, but have you ever wondered what we're like off-camera? 

For the last few months, I’ve enjoyed checking in with some of your favorite Fox personalities to learn more about who they are behind the scenes. 

What's the one thing Jesse Watters couldn’t live without? What's Bill Hemmer’s favorite Halloween costume? And what's sitting on Greg Gutfeld’s nightstand? 

But that's not all! The fun is just getting started.

This week, we're excited to shine the spotlight on Los Angeles-based senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse. He joined Fox News Channel in March 1998 and has reported on a wide variety of national and international stories for Fox. 

Throughout the years, he's covered the increase in migrants along parts of the United States-Mexico border. In 2018 and 2019, he provided coverage on Donald Trump’s border wall. In addition, he interviewed members of a caravan of 4,000 migrants as they made their journey to the United States in 2018. He notably covered the death of Robin Williams, reporting live from Hollywood.

P.S. We have so much more in store for you. Stay tuned each week for new editions of "Short Questions with Dana Perino" — and if there’s a question you want answers to or a suggestion for the person I should interview next, leave a note in the comments section below. 

For this week's "Short questions" piece, William La Jeunesse shared with Dana Perino his take on his work at Fox. "We have the freedom to talk to anyone and everyone about anything. We get to pursue stories the rest of the media ignore." (Fox News)

Q: Let’s start with a little background. Where are you from? Where’d you go to school? And what local markets did you work in prior to joining Fox?

WLJ: Toledo, Ohio. Dad was a tool and diemaker for Jeep and Chevrolet when he got out of the war, where he was a Navy airplane mechanic. 

I went to Syracuse University for literature and journalism and got a job as a newspaper reporter at the Arizona Republic. 

Moved to Phoenix in 1980 when it was 110 degrees and lived at the YMCA because I was broke and they gave me an advance on my paycheck so I could buy a motorcycle. 

Over the next five years, I covered everything from education and health care, to night cops, court, city, county and state government. Went to the CBS affiliate there for another five years, then to the NBC station in San Diego. 

Also worked at CBS in Los Angeles and a syndicated newsmagazine called The Crusaders.

Q: You’ve covered a number of big stories since starting here at Fox. Which one stands out to you as your favorite assignment to-date and why?

WLJ: Too many. Covered war in Afghanistan — and Iraq. Awesome people. Lots of natural disasters, missing children, stupid homicides and deaf, dumb and blind politicians. Met great federal agents with the border patrol and ATF.  

Q: Since you live in the heart of Hollywood, I'm curious: What's your absolute favorite movie of all time? 

WLJ: "The Graduate," "Das Boot" and "Swept Away."

Q: Hollywood isn’t only home to movie stars — you have your fair share of rock stars, too! If you could invite any three musicians, dead or alive, to a dinner party where you would collaborate together on a song — who would you choose?

WLJ: Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell, Springsteen … the Grand Canyon.

Q: What is the best advice you've ever been given?

WLJ: Work hard. Don’t be an a--. 

"What’s better than learning something new every day, meeting new people and talking to experts and those affected — then digesting that material and sharing it with viewers?"

Q: Let’s pivot to technology and innovation. In your view, what stands out as the greatest invention to emerge from Silicon Valley? 

WLJ: The computer.

Q: Follow: What is one app on your phone that you swear by, but it might not be on mine? 

WLJ: I don’t have any special apps. Maybe the one that tells me there’s a rat caught in the electronic mousetrap.

Q: Who is your favorite person you follow on X, formerly known as Twitter?

WLJ: I don’t twitter. 

Q: When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

WLJ: A garbage man. They got to hang off the back of the truck.

Q: If you were a contestant on a cooking show, what signature dish would you prepare to impress the judges?

WLJ: Chili verde.

Q: What do you love most about working for Fox News?

WLJ: Everything. My boss, our people, our shooters and producers … I love working with them all. 

Curiosity. What’s better than learning something new every day, meeting new people and talking to experts and those affected — then digesting that material and sharing it with viewers? We also get to see the world and experience history firsthand. 

"We get to pursue stories the rest of the media ignore."

We have the freedom to talk to anyone and everyone about anything. We get to pursue stories the rest of the media ignore. You used to have to read between the lines, but not anymore. Their bias is blatant. And we get to offer an alternative view. That’s healthy.

We have a great company that has allowed thousands of employees to live a good life, raise families, own homes, be happy and achieve dreams. For years, our critics tried to kill us, but they failed. When we started, Fox was literally in a handful of homes. No one on the West Coast knew who we were because we weren’t carried on any of their cable networks.

It took time, but we overcame the Ted Turners and Anita Dunns of the world who wanted to own the megaphone and quash any alternative point of view that didn’t meet with their political and cultural approval. 

And now we have you, Dana. How great is that!   

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To read all of Dana Perino's earlier "Short Questions" interviews for Fox News Digital, check out this (long) list!

For her interview with Matt Finn, click here.

For her interview with Rich Edson, click here.

For her interview with Gov. Chris Sununu, click here. 

For her interview with Ross Rayburn, click here. 

For her interview with Mark Meredith, click here. 

For her interview with Emily Compagno, click here.

For her interview with Chad Pergram, click here. 

For her interview with Mike Emanuel, click here. 

For her interview with Gillian Turner, click here. 

For her interview with Madison Alworth, click here. 

For her interview with Nate Foy, click here.

For her interview with Laura Ingraham, click here. 

For her interview with five New York FOX reporters, click here. 

For her interview with Katie Pavlich, click here.

For her interview with Guy Benson, click here. 

For her interview with Pete Hegseth, click here. 

For her interview with Sandra Smith, click here. 

For her interview with Nicolas Yannicelli, click here. 

For her interview with Abby Hornacek, click here. 

For her interview with Elise Bitter, click here. 

For her interview with Brian Kilmeade, click here.

For her interview with Kennedy, click here. 

For her interview with John Roberts, click here. 

For her interview with Janice Dean, click here. 

For her interview with Charles Payne, click here. 

For her interview with Trey Gowdy, click here. 

For her interview with Johnny "Joey" Jones, click here. 

For her interview with Bill Melugin, click here. 

For her interview with Jimmy Failla, click here. 

For her interview with Tyrus, click here. 

For her interview with Ainsley Earhardt, click here. 

For her interview with Lawrence Jones, click here. 

For her interview with Dr. Arash Akhavan, click here. 

For her interview with Martha MacCallum, click here. 

For her interview with Bret Baier, click here. 

For her interview with Kayleigh McEnany, click here.

For her interview with Harold Ford Jr., click here. 

For her interview with Shannon Bream, click here. 

For her interview with Jessica Tarlov, click here.

For her interview with Leo Terrell, click here.

For her interview with Geraldo Rivera, click here. 

For her interview with Clay Travis, click here

For her interview with Bill Hemmer, click here. 

For her interview with Greg Gutfeld, click here. 

For her interview with Benjamin Hall, click here. 

For her interview with Judge Jeanine Pirro, click here.

For her interview with Jesse Watters, click here. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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