By Frank Macek
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| Danita Harris |
Harris joined us here at WKYC Channel 3 in April 2024 as co-anchor of our morning news broadcasts, bringing with her a résumé that most journalists could only dream about. Before landing in our studios, she spent 24 years at WEWS TV-5, building a reputation that one writer summed up perfectly: "one of Cleveland's most beloved anchors, as well as a prominent inspirational voice in Northeast Ohio."
That kind of description isn't handed out lightly — and in Danita's case, it's backed up by a career full of hardware to prove it. Among her many honors are multiple Emmy Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award, induction into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Chuck Heaton Award from The Press Club of Cleveland. Before her Cleveland years, she worked at WJLA in Washington, D.C., and at Black Entertainment Television.
Her legacy also lives on at the Library of Congress. Harris has been included in the HistoryMakers collection — the nation's largest African American video oral history archive — a distinction that speaks to the lasting impact of her voice and her work.
But what truly sets Danita Harris apart isn't just the awards on the wall. It's what she does when the cameras aren't rolling. In 2016, she launched a nonprofit organization called S.H.I.N.E. to help empower women and students. What started as a focused mission has since grown into something even bigger — today, S.H.I.N.E. benefits both women and men, from children to adults.
That's the full picture of Danita Harris: a journalist of the highest caliber, and a community servant whose commitment to lifting others up goes far beyond the broadcast day.
The Distinguished Service Award could not go to a more deserving recipient.