For this week’s Meet the Media, we’d like you to meet Khalyn King, reporter at KIMA Action News.
1. How did you find yourself at KIMA Action News?
From a young age I always had a passion for storytelling. I was introduced to broadcast television in high school when I attended the International School of Communications branch at Marysville Getchell High School. While I was there I had the opportunity to interview important people around our community, present morning announcements on our television show, and play a lead role in a movie. I knew from then on I wanted to make this a profession. Four years later I attended Washington State University and got involved in Cable8 Productions and I was a part of our Murrow News 8 television show. I got to cover PAC-12 games, elections, and any hard news in Whitman County.
After I graduated I started applying for reporting jobs and I applied to KIMA News. A day later my news director called me wanting an interview. A month and a half later I started my first day and I couldn’t be happier serving the Yakima community!
2. Which of your news stories are you most proud of?
Stories that inform people about important issues going on. Stories that make people think and start conversations. I’m currently working on a story about rent not being affordable for low-wage workers in a ton of areas nationwide and focusing it on Washington.
3. What is your favorite thing about your job?
Every day is a new story. I’ll go into work and do a story at the carnival and ride a camel. Or I’ll be out with firefighters doing a story about all of the wildfires happening. I love that I’m not doing the same thing every day and I get to tell unique or important stories to the community.
4. What is your interview style?
Asking compelling questions that get to know a person. It really helps bring the story together when you get a sense of the person you are doing a story on.
5. What do you look for in a story?
It depends, if it’s a hard news story then I look for the important facts and tell the most important and compelling information that the public would want to know. If it’s a feature story or if I have to cover an event, I look for how I can relate it to my audience. People like knowing about people. I want to tell a story that engages the audience, and not just explain what happened.
6. What is your day like at your job?
Right when we start work in the morning, my news team meets and we share our ideas of what we think is newsworthy and what we should cover for the day. Then once we confirm what we are doing for the day, I start making the calls and setting up interviews. Then after I’m done filming and interviewing my sources, I come back to the station and start editing and scripting. Then during the five and six o’clock newscast I present my story on air. Then I post my stories onto my Facebook page and do it all over again the next day!
7. Who do you look up to most in the reporting community?
Don Lemon on CNN, his storytelling and how he shares the information to the public is a gift. When he speaks people listen and he’s definitely someone I pull out a pen and notebook for and take notes!
8. What is your favorite news outlet?
I watch multiple news outlets, but the main ones I watch or read are CNN, King 5 news and MSNBC.
9. Fill in the blank:
- If I am not working, I am…Binge watching Netflix with my two dogs, hiking, going to concerts, finding cool places or restaurants to try and being a Disney princess.
- If I could interview anyone, it would be…OPRAH WINFREY AND MICHAEL JORDAN TOGETHER. Can’t think of a better combination.
- My favorite thing about the Washington is…Nature. We have the most beautiful hikes and views out of any state hands down. When I leave Washington and visit another state or country, that’s the thing I miss the most.
10. What is your guilty pleasure?
Nutella. Boom. *insert heart eyes emoji*
Check out last week’s Meet the Media where we spotlighted Ben Sclair, owner, editor and publisher of The Suburban Times.
Want to be featured in a Meet the Media? Email ofuller@feareygroup.com for inquiries.