The rule of thumb in the news industry is that a reporter should never shoot the story solely about themselves. Valerie Bell, a television reporter at ABC affiliate WBMA in Birmingham, Alabama, recently broke that rule, but she can be forgiven. With the help of local police, she was lured into a marriage proposal by her fiancé, Blake Bjornson.
A five-minute clip Bell posted to Instagram on July 1 shows Bell investigating an alleged report of a domestic violence incident near a lake.
As she begins to take notes, the cop she is talking to tells her to turn around. There was her fiancé, holding a ring box.
“Here I was thinking I’d break the news,” Bell wrote. “But little did I know that this was all part of a huge community plan to create a real surprise.”
The proposal was short and sweet.
“I’m just trying to process what just happened. Oh my god,” Bell said in the video, realizing what was happening. “I thought there were children in the water. Thats so bad.”
Spoiler alert: She said, “Yes.”
See more
How it all went… 💍 Here I was, thinking I’d post the latest news @abc3340, little did I know that this was all part of a massive community plan to create one heck of a surprise. I can’t wait to spend eternity with you. I’m the happiest girl. #BecomingBjornson pic.twitter.com/Md0P5yShxx
— Valerie Bell (@ValerieBellTV) July 1, 2023