Reporter, MMJ
KATU 2 | Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. 2021 October ~ 2023 October
General Assignment reporter from Fridays to Tuesdays. Reported in the 4:00 P.M., 5:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M., 6:30 P.M., & 11:00 P.M. newscasts on weekdays & 5:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M. & 11:00 P.M. on weekends. Filled in for morning and dayside shifts on weekends and holidays.
My live reporting on-air for the evening newscasts contributed to a 14% increase in ratings. My content creation and live reporting online and on social media contribute to a 12% ~ 28% increase in followers and engagement on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube and Facebook.
Breaking News
Being a part of the news industry for over ten years, I learned to always operate under the assumption that I will be dropping everything to go on breaking news. Priorities can shift at any second, strategies can change at any time, developments can happen so I am always ready. I've covered homicides, shootings, stabbings, traffic accidents, hit-and-runs, stand-offs, fires, overdoses, traffic due to weather, deaths due to weather, and more. I learned my priorities when I arrive on a scene. I understand the most important information, video and interviews to bring to the public on social media and the web as soon as possible. I also learned the best ways to connect and work with law enforcement and fire officials doing their jobs on scene.
Packages & Reports
Here are some more stories I reported on here at KATU 2 News.
Police believe a catalytic converter trafficking ring stole more than $20 million dollars
Protesters call for police reform after video footage released of Tyre Nichols' death
In an effort to reduce drive-by gun violence, the city put up choke points to deter traffic
Following this story, a woman got her dogs back after they were stolen along with her van at a dog show
Trapped in a record-low temperature snow storm, travelers are stuck at the airport
While both sides want what's best for sexual assault survivors, the efficacy of "DIY Kits" are debated
Weather
Living in Portland, Oregon in the United States, I'm used to cold, wet, snowy and rainy days. But I've also experienced extremely hot weather during the summers. Weather coverage is a huge part of my job. I've been in knee-deep water during floods, burning ice on my face during snowstorms, pouring rain that blurred my vision, sun so hot it made me dizzy, and wind that tried to blow all our gear away!
Here are some more examples of live reports I did in extreme weather conditions.
Accountability
One of the reasons I became a journalist is to hold the powerful accountable. To ask people in power or officials hard and tough questions on camera. This is a collection of accountability efforts I made to show the viewers the process I make while investigating and researching. It includes questions on camera, knocking on doors, and making calls.
Health & Safety
Of course, living through 2020 - 2022, one of the biggest stories is the COVID-19 pandemic. The words "Coronavirus," "COVID-19," "Masks," "Vaccines," "Delta," "Omicron," "Variant" and "Social Distancing" became part of every day life. With almost daily updates from the CDC, I developed strong relationships with health officials. This included city and county health leaders, hospital staff, emergency room operators, and doctors specializing in infectious diseases. With a topic this big, I also interviewed University professors who specialize in medical science. I also formed a connection with several public and private school officials and who had different opinions in masking, virtual learning, and schooling.
Traffic & Travel
Another subject that affects everyone in any city, is traffic and travel. Whether it's morning commutes or getting home from work, road conditions are essential for every day life. Before I started reporting here, I made sure to study all the main streets and freeways that are most used in the city. I also familiarized myself with the ongoing infrastructure projects that the city is doing. For example, efforts to build more pedestrian walkways and traffic lights in higher traffic areas.
Politics & Elections
In the United States, there are very passionate people who care deeply about political issues. Reporting through an election cycle, I covered many of these topics. Including climate change, Medicaid, abortion, gay marriage, gun control, marijuana legalization, border security, minimum wage, taxes, net neutrality, and many more. Covering these stories taught me how to write, report, research, and present the story in a fair way. I learned to present every side equally and of course, fact check everything.
Rallies & Protests
The right to stand up for something you believe in is very important to many people in Portland and in the United States. During my time here in Portland, I covered several rallies, protests and gatherings that usually sent a message to government leaders. Almost all rallies I covered was peaceful, but there are rare times when things turned violent. There were times I witnessed people getting hurt and property getting damaged. I learned how to navigate the situation, keeping both the safety of our crews and accurately portraying the story in mind.
Sports
Sports is always a fun topic to cover and it also taught me a lot about how to navigate big crowds. This is one of my favorite assignments because it's always so unpredictable and exciting! There is a professional NBA team here, the Portland Trail Blazers, so I got to experience what it's like to be in a stadium packed with fans. I also got to be very close to LeBron James one time when the Blazers played the LA Lakers. I also had the honor of covering Portland's professional football team, the Portland Thorns won the NWSL in 2022! I had the pleasure of interviewing several professional athletes. I also investigated some pieces such as transferring ownership of teams, and investigating allegations of an owner accused of sexual harassment.
Skydiving
I also always get exclusive sky video for our newscast! Since I work the nightshift starting at 3:15 P.M., I usually go skydiving in the mornings. I take video shot on GoPro's and we have fun using skydiving videos to help make viewers stick around during commercial. Here are some examples of our sky video on-air!
Live in Studio
Occasionally, I also fronted stories in the news station. I was very rarely in the studio, but we had a room called the "Live Desk" where I could present my stories. I use it when there's a visual element like a graph or quote that would help with the presentation of the story.
Anchor Questions & Live Interviews
I learned that Anchor Questions and Live interviews can be very effective to show urgency and deliver information to the public as soon as possible. From these experiences, I learned to think on my feet.
Reporter Life
I got to meet new people, experience new things, and learned so much. Here are some pictures of me working hard!
General Assignment
The topics I mentioned in this page are ones that I reported on pretty regularly. But I'm always digging for those stories that are unique, exclusive, and enterprise. The reason I became a journalist is to give people a voice. Keeping in contact with people, pitching and looking for story ideas is now second nature in my every day life. I developed solid relationships with city officials, police and fire departments, PIO's, small businesses, and most importantly, members of our community. At this job, I also learned to get information online first. I always put information out on our station website and social media pages before it goes on-air.
