Editing David Bloom

{{short description|American journalist}}
{{Other people|David Bloom}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = David Bloom
| image              = David Bloom NBC News.png
| birth_name         = David Jerome Bloom
| birth_date         = May 22, 1963
| birth_place        = [[Edina, Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2003|04|06|1963|05|22|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]]
| death_cause        = [[Pulmonary embolism]] from [[deep vein thrombosis]]
| years_active       = 1988–2003
| alma mater         = [[Pitzer College]]
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = Television journalist
| relatives          = James Bloom (sibling) and John Bloom (sibling)
}}

'''David Jerome Bloom''' (May 22, 1963 &ndash; April 6, 2003) was an American television [[journalist]] (co-anchor of ''[[Weekend Today]]'' and reporter) until his sudden death in 2003 after a [[deep vein thrombosis]] (DVT) became a [[pulmonary embolism]] at the age of 39.

==Early  life==
David Bloom was born in [[Edina, Minnesota]],<ref name="la obit">{{cite news |last=Neuman |first=Johanna |date=7 April 2003 |title=David Bloom, 39; NBC Correspondent in Iraq (obituary) |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-07-me-bloom7-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501193738/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-07-me-bloom7-story.html |archive-date=1 May 2023 |access-date=30 May 2025}}</ref> the son of Laura Jean (née Carmichael) and Harold James Bloom. He was an avid [[ice hockey]] player and state champion in high school debating in the [[National Forensic League]]. Bloom attended [[Pitzer College]] in [[Claremont, California]], from 1981 to 1985, where he majored in [[political science]].

In 1985, Bloom was ranked top in the nation for intercollegiate policy debate. He and his partner, Greg Mastel, were ranked the top debate team in the nation before entering the National Debate Tournament of 1985. They lost in quarter-finals to [[Loyola Marymount University|Loyola Marymount]].

==Professional career==
He began his television career at [[WKBT-TV]] in [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]], [[Wisconsin]], covering local government stories. Bloom worked as a general assignment reporter at [[KWCH-TV]] in [[Wichita, Kansas]] from 1988 to 1989.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

In 1989, Bloom joined NBC's [[WTVJ]] in [[Miami]]. He covered [[Hurricane Andrew]] and while reporting the aftermath he chased off would-be looters. In 1991, he won a [[Emmy Award#Regional Emmys|regional Emmy]] for investigative journalism for his report on South Florida's role in the shipment of arms to Iraq. He received the [[Peabody Award]] and was awarded the [[RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award|Edward R. Murrow Award]] by the [[Radio-Television News Directors Association]] for his hurricane coverage.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

In 1993, Bloom joined [[NBC News]] as correspondent in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Illinois]], and moved to [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], California in 1995.  Bloom covered the presidential campaigns of 1996 and 2000 for the network and in 1997 became NBC's [[White House]] correspondent. Former [[Bill Clinton|President Clinton]] said that Bloom's "integrity and good humor will be missed."<ref name=usa/>

During his tenure with NBC, Bloom reported on major stories including presidential races, the [[September 11 attacks]], the [[D.C. sniper attacks|Washington-area sniper shootings]], and the [[Bosnian War|war in Bosnia]]. According to the late [[Tim Russert]], former NBC Washington bureau chief, "You couldn't keep him away from a story. Whenever something was breaking, he wanted to be there."<ref name=usa>{{cite web | url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/world/iraq/2003-04-06-bloom_x.htm | title=NBC News' David Bloom dies in Iraq | work=USA Today | date=April 6, 2003 | agency=Associated Press | access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref> In March 2000, Bloom became co-anchor of ''[[Weekend Today]]'' along with [[Soledad O'Brien]], a position in which he served until his death.

==Iraq reporting and death==
[[File:Plaque at War correspondents Memorial Gathland State Park.jpg|thumb|Plaque at [[National War Correspondents Memorial]], [[Gathland State Park]]]]
On April 6, 2003, Bloom was traveling with the [[U.S. 3d Infantry Division|U.S. Third Infantry Division]] in [[Iraq]] while covering the [[Iraq War]] in a vehicle pegged after his name, the "Bloom Mobile." It was a [[Ford F250]] 4 wheel drive Flatbed truck retrofitted with live television and satellite transmission equipment so he could continuously broadcast reports as troops made their way toward [[Baghdad]].<ref>[http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19845/page5/ "You Don't Understand Our Audience"] Technology Review </ref> Reporting live, round-the-clock, as the American armored column fought north across the desert toward Baghdad, Bloom commented offhandedly on the cramped conditions, excessive heat and lack of sleep that came with the mission.<ref name=Kleber>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2003-04-11-bloom_x.htm Kleber, Mick. "DVT: David Bloom's silent killer", ''USA Today'', April 11, 2003]</ref><ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20050307021431/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/06/sprj.irq.journalist.death/ CNN] </ref>

He had been on assignment in Iraq for several weeks when a blood clot in his leg ([[deep vein thrombosis]]) traveled to an artery in his lungs, causing a fatal [[pulmonary embolism]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.today.com/news/my-husband-should-be-living-today-wbna7074940|last=Bloom|first=Melanie|title='My husband should be living today'|work=[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]|date=2005-03-03|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref> "The clot in Bloom's leg was likely brought on by spending long days and nights cramped inside armored vehicles. One night he called Melanie from a satellite phone in the middle of the night, exposing himself to hostile fire just to get a few minutes outside of an armored tank because his legs had been cramping up."<ref name=Stump>[http://www.today.com/allday/10-years-later-david-bloom-remembered-1B9239813 10 years later, David Bloom remembered] Scott Stump, ''Today'', April 5, 2013</ref>

==Personal life==
Bloom was survived by his wife, Melanie,<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20070505031622/http://www.clotcare.com/clotcare/dvtstorymelaniebloom.aspx David Bloom's DVT Story: An Interview with David Bloom's Widow, Melanie Bloom] - ClotCare.com </ref> and three daughters: [[Nicole Brydon Bloom|Nicole]], Christine, and Ava.<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20040418234237/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3079105/ NBC News] </ref> The Blooms were residents of [[Pound Ridge, New York]] at the time of his death. After his death, his widow began working with the ''Coalition to Prevent DVT''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.preventdvt.org/coalition/diary/chapter2.aspx|title=From High-Energy to Hospitalized in Less Than a Week|last=Merli|first=Geno|date=February 2012|publisher=The Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis|access-date=November 27, 2012|archive-date=February 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204154343/http://www.preventdvt.org/coalition/diary/chapter2.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> and remarried to Daniel McNulty in 2008.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-doyle-palmer-/david-bloom_b_3018277.html Huffington Post: "10 Years Later — Melanie Bloom and Lee Woodruff Look Back"], April 4, 2013.</ref>

==The David Bloom Award==
In 2006 The [[National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters]] established an award to honor excellence in enterprise reporting. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] ''[[World News with Diane Sawyer|World News Tonight]]'' co-anchor [[Bob Woodruff]] received the award in its first year.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|1222898}}
*{{Find a Grave|7332407}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloom, David}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American television reporters and correspondents]]
[[Category:People from Edina, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Television anchors from Miami]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism]]
[[Category:NBC News people]]
[[Category:Pitzer College alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from thrombosis]]
[[Category:People from Pound Ridge, New York]]
[[Category:Disease-related deaths in Iraq]]