Like the vast majority of other prominent journalists covering the conference, Maria is a seasoned and savvy financial journalist who understands the financial markets and corporate America and can go mano-a-mano with the likes of Michael Milken, T. Boone Pickens, Steve Wynn and Eli Broad.

But Maria has talent and a skill-set that really towers over other journalists and she makes what she does look so easy that you really have to study her on the job to see how truly impressive she is.

What CNBC viewers see is Maria seated at an anchor desk in the Beverly Hilton Hotel. More often than not, the camera delivers a tight shot, which fills the screen with her and CNBC's various scrolling graphics and charts. When the camera does periodically pull back, one can see conference attendees walking to and fro, oblivious to her presence.

But the CNBC camera lies.

Maria is impossible to miss. Petite and coiffed, she sits at the center of a canyon of lights, teleprompters, cameras, computer banks and production crew members who make her live shots possible. They in turn are front-and-center in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton, right across from the main hotel registration desk; only feet from its main bank of elevators; and just a few more paces from the grand ballroom where lunch and intellectual protein are served.

People are taking Maria's picture. They are standing on the side and in front of her watching her work. They are also standing to her side and in front of her ignoring her, carrying on loud conversations on their cell phones and amongst themselves. In her ear is the audio link to producers back East, who yack at her constantly. Standing directly off camera is a field producer who is either yapping at her or delivering her cues using hand signals.

And in the midst of all this, Maria has to tune it all out and work as a quality journalist.

I contrast this to Andrew Ross Sorkin, the print and digital journalist who is covering the same conference for The New York Times. Andrew walks through the crowds and navigates his way in and out of sessions unnoticed by all but a few. He has no earphone yapper telling him how many seconds until he must again be smart and peppy. He can go off to a corner, unnoticed, and write and file his stories with virtually no interruptions.

I've always respected both Maria and Andrew as excellent journalists. But after watching them at the Milken conference, I must say that I respect both of them even more.

I respect Maria because I don't think I ever realized just how demanding live financial television journalism remains, despite all the technological advances of the past decade that now permit financial journalists to be on scene. That Maria can seize her focus out of the swirl around her and remain composed and articulate is truly amazing.

As for Andrew, well my respect for him also rose after watching him work. After all, he had the good sense to stay away from a multi-tasking job such as Maria's.

-- Dean Rotbart