News Media Workshop Project
The Talent
As for other reporters and anchors, how each got their start varies heavily amongst all of them. Marc Bailey began his career as a police officer in San Diego but is now one of the anchors for Wake Up San Diego. He has worked for HBO, E! Entertainment Television and CNN and at smaller news stations around the country. Wake Up San Diego airs from 5-9 a.m. and is one of the frequently watched newscasts by the San Diego 6 viewers. Heather Meyers, another anchor for the morning news began her career by interning at Access Hollywood and then worked in Yuma, Arizona as a weekend anchor and reporter.
Kimi Evans is the morning meteorologist/traffic reporter at the station. She has worked at the FOX Station in Hawaii and at CBS/KCAL in Los Angeles before joining San Diego 6. Jim Patton, the news anchor during weeknights at 10 p.m. has worked in Palm Springs at KMIR (affiliate of NBC) and KOCO (affiliate of ABC). Each reporter, anchor, and weathercaster has their own short biography that San Diego 6 makes available to their viewers on their website.
The different newscasts on San Diego 6 include Wake Up San Diego from 5-9 a.m., San Diego Living at 9 a.m., and San Diego News at 10. In between the newscasts, CW shows will air, bringing in even more viewers and increasing ratings. Marc Bailey, Heather Meyers are the anchors, Kimi Evans as the weathercaster and traffic reporter and Laura Cavanaugh as the reporter. San Diego Living is also hosted by Marc Bailey and his co-anchors from the morning newscast. San Diego News at 10 is anchored by Jim Patton and Sabrina Fein and the weathercaster is Brooke Landau. There are separate anchors and reporters for the weekend newscasts.
San Diego 6 recruits employees via their online application process and through personal connections. When an individual submits an application, they are only sending in their resume but they will are not considered for employment until an official application is completed. Typically, San Diego 6 will keep resumes on file for about six months when considering individuals for open positions in the station. The station also offers internships to full-time college students that meet their academic requirements. Internships are offered in the fields of web/news, San Diego 6 News, Design, Web, and Creative Services.
It is very possible to be able to acquire a job at the station through an internship. UCSD Alum and former intern at San Diego 6, Jane Lee spoke to us regarding her experience. Jane graduated from UCSD in 2013 and had previously interned with San Diego 6 during her senior year. She currently hold three part-time positions at the station, as an Assignment Desk Editor on Saturdays, Studio Crew Member, and as a Multi-Media Journalist. She enjoys all three positions but “hope[s] to become a full time reporter one day.” Jane was able to land these three positions through her connections at the station which she gained during her internship.
Jane also emphasized that the hiring process “depends on the position” for which an individual is applying for. If the application is submitted for talent (anchor, reporter, weather) then demo reels, resumes and personal references may be used. People will note people from previous jobs and refer them to the hiring managers when positions are open. Since many of the talent have begun their career working at other stations before joining San Diego 6, they might refer someone from their previous employer who would fit the position. Networking in the broadcast industry is important because employers want to be able to hire someone whose work ethic they are familiar with over a complete stranger. Not to say that being hired without connections is impossible but it is definitely a step up from those that may not have that same network.
