Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek @maceknewsnation The 3News team has grown a little bigger this week with the arrival of Carmen Blackwell as a weeknight reporter at WKYC Studios. A New Orleans native, Carmen told us she’s ready to call the birthplace of Rock & Roll her new home and "bring a little taste of the Crescent City to the Land," according to 3News Director of Content Adam Miller. Carmen Blackwell Carmen joins our station from KSAZ-TV/Phoenix, Arizona, where she was most recently a weekday morning reporter.  Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Carmen began her career as a weekday morning anchor, reporter and producer at KALB-TV in Alexandria, LA before moving to the FOX affiliate in Phoenix.  When not reporting, Carmen enjoys spending time with her husband, one-year-old son and Mini Aussie Poo pup named Lola. Look for Carmen on our evening newscasts beginning next week.

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced that, for the sixth consecutive year, it has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (“CEI”), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. “It is an honor to once again receive a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index and be designated a Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality,” said Grady Tripp, vice president and chief diversity officer, TEGNA. “We are proud of the work we are doing to build an inclusive workplace that welcomes employees from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, and we remain dedicated to supporting equality and equal rights for all.” The 2022 CEI evaluated over 1,200 companies promoting LGBTQ+-friendly policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, inclusive culture and c...

Coming up tonight at 7p on 3, we'll present another edition of " Front Row: A Turning Point ." The belief that when blacks and Latinos move ahead, whites lose ground. Author Heather McGhee calls it "zero-sum thinking." We talk with the woman behind the New York Times bestseller "The Sum of Us." You'll hear her theory as we explore solutions that allow all Americans to prosper together. Join us tonight at 7p on 3 for our on-going series called "A Turning Point." Director's Cut Blog EXTRA:  Upon exploring some issues raised in The Sum of Us by author Heather McGhee, 3News hosted " A Turning Point " panel conversation on Tuesday afternoon connected to the concerns surrounding environmental racism and justice. 3News contributor Chris Webb moderated the discussion on how to be solution-oriented when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion issues, climate justice and building an interracial coalition around environmental i...

By Frank Macek @maceknewsnation Congratulations to our own Russ Mitchell in celebrating his 10 year anniversary with WKYC Studios this month. In December 2011, former WKYC VP/General Manager Brooke Spectorsky announced to the staff Russ would be moving from his role at CBS News to become weeknight Managing Editor and the 6 & 11P anchor on the station in January 2012. He would replace Romona Robinson who left the station upon the expiration of her contract on December 16, 2011, following a 15 year stint with the station. Most of that time, Robinson was teamed with co-anchor Tim White who also exited in 2008. Seen as a coup at the time by local media insiders who were shocked the station failed to renew Robinson's contract, Russ left his role as an anchor  and journalist at CBS News to head to Cleveland.  While based at CBS in New York City since 1992, Russ held a number of roles at the network over the next 19 years including co-anchor of "Up To the Minute," original c...

By Frank Macek @maceknewsnation As we kick off 2022 and the re-launch of the Director's Cut Blog, I wanted to share with you a few of the new faces you have seen lately on WKYC. Even though the pandemic has disrupted all of our lives, we have been working hard behind the scenes to put together the best team of people to bring you the news, weather and sports you've come to expect from WKYC. With our team in place, all of us at WKYC Studios are now getting ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, The Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend in the CLE. It's going to be a February to remember. Let's take a look at some of the new people who have joined WKYC Studios in 2021. Payton Domschke Payton Domschke Payton Domschke joined the 3News weather team in December 2021 as our 5th meteorologist. After spending the last two years on the East Coast with our sister station WVEC - 13News Now, Payton was thrilled to return to her beloved Midwest. She was born and raised in the s...