Career Path Of A TV News Anchor At ABC7 News
Kristen's journey to becoming a news anchor at ABC7 News KGO-TV began with a high school visit to a TV station, sparking a passion for broadcast journalism's blend of news and performance; this led to pursuing political science at UC Berkeley while "begging [her] way" into graduate journalism classes and interning at local media outlets to gain experience and build a demo reel. After graduation, a first job in a small town in upstate New York was followed by moves to larger markets before eventually landing the dream job at ABC7 in San Francisco, starting as a reporter and working their way up to anchoring three shows a day.
Broadcast Journalism, News Anchoring, Reporting, Internships, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kristen Sze
TV News Anchor
ABC7 News KGO-TV
UC Berkeley
Political Science, American Studies
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. High School Visit Sparked Interest: Visiting a TV station during high school and witnessing a live newscast ignited Kristen's passion for broadcast journalism, drawn to the energy, lights, action, and the blend of news, current events, and performance.
2. Leveraging College Experience: Although Journalism wasn't an option for undergrad, Kristen chose Political Science which honed critical thinking and writing skills. She also took classes at the graduate school of journalism by reaching out to professors and expressing her interest in the courses, showcasing the importance of initiative and communication skills.
3. Internships and Early Career Sacrifices: Kristen actively sought internships at local TV and radio stations, which provided invaluable experience and networking opportunities. She started her career in a small town in upstate New York, earning a very low wage, emphasizing the need to be prepared to start small and gain experience in lower-pressure environments.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I decided I wanted to become a broadcast journalist, specifically a news anchor, in high school. This was after I visited a TV station where a family friend was interning. I watched a live newscast and thought it was so exciting.
There was an energy, lights, people, and action. I've always been interested in news and current events, and I already wrote for the school newspaper. I love talking to people, asking questions, and discussing why things are done a certain way.
I thought broadcast journalism was the perfect way to satisfy my curiosity about world and local events, combined with the performance aspect. I enjoyed theater, so broadcast journalism brought that all together well.
When I entered college at UC Berkeley, I didn't major in journalism because it wasn't an undergraduate major. I studied political science, which required critical thinking, writing, and understanding the world. All of that plays into being a good journalist.
While at Berkeley, I took a few classes in the graduate school of Journalism. I had to beg my way into some of them. This taught me not to be deterred by prerequisites; approach professors and explain your interest.
At Berkeley, I worked at the college radio station, KALX, where I produced, reported, and anchored newscasts. This was exciting and gave me experience doing live newscasts, even though it was radio.
I also interned at local TV and radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area. This was in the pre-internet days, so I had to call or show up to find internships. These internships were critical in starting my career.
Through internships, I saw how TV stations worked and met reporters and photographers. They allowed me to go on stories with them, taught me how to write and edit, and how to put together a resume reel.
By the time I graduated, I had a demo reel with several stories I had reported. I sent these out to TV stations and landed my first job shortly after graduating in a small town in upstate New York. I joke that I was probably the lowest-paid UC Berkeley grad that year, making $6 an hour as a reporter.
You generally start in a small town with low viewership. This is great because you can make mistakes and learn without the pressure of a big TV market.
I worked in Binghamton for a year, then Fresno, California for a year and a half, and then Philadelphia for four years. Each time, I moved up in market size, serving more viewers and reporting to more people.
Then I went to "Extra," a syndicated magazine show, which was a bit different. I did longer stories and traveled more. In 1998, I came to ABC7 San Francisco. It was my hometown and a dream come true.
My journey here started as a reporter, then I filled in as an anchor, and finally became an anchor. I now anchor three shows a day at ABC7 in San Francisco.