Journalism majorReporter, ABC 36 News
Annie Brown ’21, a journalism major, is a reporter at Lexington’s ABC affiliate Channel 36 News.
A native of Lexington, Ky., Brown wanted to stay close to home to be near her family. She enjoyed English and History growing up, creating and editing home movies with her siblings. Because of this experience, she felt that the field of journalism chose her.
“I’ve always loved the creative outlet photography and video give me,” she said. “I wanted to be in a field where I could blend these loves and do something meaningful for my community. Now, I get to be a part of watching, writing and recording history, and I get to tell it in my own creative way. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do broadcast journalism, but I fell in love with it through anchoring and producing Newswatch 3 at Asbury in my senior year.”
Pitching, shooting, writing and editing all of her own stories allows her to tell the stories happening in her community.
“I think what brings me most joy is knowing that my stories shed light on important things in the community I grew up in and love so much,” Brown responded. “I tell stories of people experiencing deep grief and hurt. I’ve witnessed moments of pure joy. I’ve laughed. I’ve cried. And I’ve gotten a front row seat to the human experience in all its forms. It’s a privilege to tell these stories.”
When asked about integrating her faith into her profession, she replied:
“I was taught to bring my Christian values into my work, approaching it with compassion, empathy and love, instead of turning that off. Not only has this made my writing and storytelling much more powerful, it’s also made my sources for stories more willing to open up to me and let me be a part of situations they may not let other media be a part of. People recognize when you are genuine.”
For Brown, the relationships with professors left a significant impact on her, personally and professionally. The encouragement and nurturing throughout her learning process continues to impact her as she navigates her industry.
“Prof. Rich Manieri always pushed me to become better at my work, and to never shy away from difficult or controversial topics for my stories. He continues to do so and I consider him an industry mentor and friend,” said the young alum. “Without him, I never would have sat in front of a prompter and been asked to read it (which was literally the moment I realized I wanted to do broadcast journalism).”
As for why she would recommend Asbury for your college education, she says:
“The quality of education I got at Asbury has made me stand out, even as a very young reporter, in my field. Not only was the education fantastic, Asbury also encourages you to develop your character, which I have found is extremely important in any career field. I am endlessly grateful to the nurturing professors I had at Asbury. Asbury truly is a place to learn, grow, be nurtured, and succeed–in the classroom and beyond it.”