Each Monday, we’re giving readers a chance to get to know the media a little better.
With a little flair.
Our goal is to give readers some insight into the work and work style of area journalists, and get to know a little bit about the person behind the byline. Start your week off with an online networking opportunity through our Media Monday blog post.
This Week: Kristen Drew, KOMO Television
Kristen Drew is a general assignment reporter for KOMO-TV. She worked previously at the NBC affiliate in Syracuse, New York. Drew started her journalism career at KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas, after she finished her master’s degree in broadcast journalism at Boston University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Loyola Marymount University. She also spent a summer studying British politics at Oxford University in England.
She’s a New York native and spent most of her childhood in the Syracuse area. This is Drew’s first time living in Seattle.
Q: What’s your favorite kind of story?
A: Anything that involves criminal law and research – I like digging through court documents for information. Often these cases involve accountability and can be a catalyst for change.
Q: If you could have someone else’s job, what would it be?
A: “First Lady” – she helps many people and causes, hosts great events and always wears beautiful dresses while doing the job! (Yes, I realize some day there will be a “First Gentleman”).
Q: Finish this sentence: “A good PR person is …”
A: …someone who understands what makes a great television news story (content, visuals and characters), will pick up the phone without making reporters leave a message first and follows-up a pitch with a phone call. We get so many emails; it’s hard to catch all of them.
Q: What skills do new journalists need?
A: Journalism 101: An ability to develop sources, ethics, curiosity of the world around them, attention to accuracy and a willingness to put in long hours!
Q: What hidden talent or skill do you have that viewers don’t know about you?
A: Ooh, ask me in a few months– I’ve been learning how to country line dance. Yee haw! =)
The PR Pro Takeaway: Pay attention to Drew’s advice on how to pitch; following up with a call is a good way to get your pitch pushed to the top. Her implied investigative tenacity is impressive, digging through court documents is not an easy task. She may relax from her documents with a twirl in her boots and 10-gallon hat.