Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has lived her life in the public eye. She's been governor of Alaska, a vice presidential candidate and a best-selling author. Now, Sarah's taking the leap from newsmaker to news commentator in her new role as a Fox News analyst.

It's a full-circle moment for Sarah, who majored in journalism and once worked as a local sports anchor. "I think my parents are kind of pleased too," she says. "I'm putting that college degree to work."

After the 2008 presidential race, Sarah criticized some of the ways she and the campaign were portrayed in the media. Now on the other side of the desk, Sarah wants to get back to basics. "When I studied journalism, we learned all about the who, what, when, where and why of reporting. Just stating the facts," she says. "I'll engage in that, kind of ratcheting back down to the simplicity of what journalism should be about: just the basics and letting the people decide what their opinion will be."

After the announcement, media outlets questioned whether Sarah would abandon any future presidential bids—or use the role to gear up for campaigns to come.

"I'm not closing any door that maybe I find open in the future. And, thankfully, the Fox Network has allowed me to keep that door open," she says. "Maybe [politics] is in my future, but in the meantime [I] just really look forward to being a part of the news cycle again."

Bristol Palin and her son, Tripp
Credit: Shealah Craighead Photography
During the presidential race, Sarah wasn't the only Palin making headlines. Then 17-year-old Bristol Palin made news when her pregnancy became public.

Now 19, Bristol is the proud mom of 1-year-old Tripp. Though she loves being a mom, she admits it's not easy to care for a child and work at the same time. "The lack of sleep definitely surprised me," she says. "A typical day starts at 4, 4:30."

Being a mom, Bristol says, makes her respect her own mother more. In a recent interview, she spoke about crying as she tried to rock her screaming baby to sleep. "I have this big supportive family and stuff, but I just felt so alone," she says. "[It] felt just like a breaking point where reality sunk in that, yeah, I have a kid. This is my life. This is my full-time job now."

NEXT STORY

Next Story