Kelly D. Hicks
I graduated on the five year plan from the best journalism school in the world. The University of Missouri-Columbia allowed me to continue the hands-on experience I had at the Jeff Radio and TV Center. Students are the anchors, reporters, photographers, producers and even some production engineers for the NBC affiliate KOMU NBC8. Check out www.komu.com for more information. Students work with people who've been in the business and current news professionals to become solid TV journalists. I would welcome anyone who's considering a TV journalism career to email me with questions about the program, and to visit the journalism school website. (link at www.komu.com)
I became a paid member of the KOMU staff as I worked to finish my degree. I was primarily an anchor/reporter, but also produced to improve my writing skills. As it turned out, producing is the hot ticket. In 1996, I took a job as a news producer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This allowed me to work with my now-husband who was a reporter at the same station at the time. After two years in the bitter cold corn belt, I moved to a much warmer climate. I'm now the Weekend News Producer in the 20th television market for KXTV 10 in Sacramento, California.
TV news gets a bad rap--but I love the job. I've met and learned from Dan Rather, Peter Jennings. Sam Donaldson, Jane Pauley, and Walter Cronkite just to name a few. I've witnessed some pretty wild stories. Everyday brings something new, and I decide whether or not to tell you about it.