Check Out Katie Inman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Inman.

Hi Katie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in the small town of Dandridge, which is about 30 minutes outside of Knoxville. I am a proud East Tennessean and truly believe there is no other place like it in the world. From an early age, my parents knew I was a performer. I would put on shows in our living room and force my brother to record “talk shows” with me whenever possible.

Throughout my childhood, I wanted to become an actress. I got involved in dance classes, theatre, speech, and debate. I never shied away from the spotlight. It wasn’t until high school when I started to re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my life.

I didn’t want to give up on my dream of performing, but I also craved job security. My mom and I started looking at college programs that might be a good fit for me. That’s when we discovered the communications route with a journalism concentration. I grew up watching the news, but the thought never crossed my mind that I could actually be that person on the desk until that moment. I decided I would pursue that path without ever having a journalism class or time on a school news desk.

When the time came, I toured the college and quickly fell in love with Middle Tennessee State University. I looked in awe as we strolled through the Media and Entertainment Building. I decided, I wanted to plant my college roots at MTSU, and that’s exactly what I did. I started at MTSU in August 2014. While in college, I got involved early. I started working with the campus television station, MT10 News. I was excited, overwhelmed, nervous, and ready to dive right in from the beginning.

That decision to join MT10 led to lifelong friendships, learning opportunities, and the ability to hone my craft from the beginning. I quickly fell in love with storytelling and shining the light on the positive parts of the community. I knew the path was the right one for me. I rose through the ranks and eventually became the news director at MT10, mentoring and teaching newer recruits the ropes. I also got to participate in a flagship morning show created by students, called “The Rise.”

Luckily for me, I graduated college with the same major I started with and had a blast through the long nights and deadlines. Also while in college, I held three separate internships: NewsTalk 98.7 in Knoxville, WBIR in Knoxville, and WKRN in Nashville. I learned so much from shadowing people who were actually in the biz. I am so grateful for the mentors who would take the time to teach and show me things while they themselves were working on deadlines. Getting an inside look at how things really operated outside of a college newsroom was very eye-opening.

I chose to run toward the draw of journalism and not away from it. MTSU prepared me to step into the real world after graduation. I knew I wanted to go back to Knoxville at some point to report at WBIR, the station I grew up watching. I decided to apply and interview in hopes something might come out of it. The news director at the time told me he typically didn’t hire people straight out of school that didn’t go to one of the typical top journalism programs in the country, like Mizzou, Georgia, or USC.

He decided to take a chance on me and offer a job as a videographer/multimedia journalist hybrid. I accepted with joy and shock. Before I even graduated, I accepted the job as a reporter at WBIR. I knew I had the job when I walked across the stage, which is a great feeling. I loved the idea of coming home, I just didn’t expect to do it so soon. I believe God has a plan for everyone’s lives, and He aligned this opportunity for me for a reason.

I worked on the morning show for my whole first year. Getting into work dark and early around 4 a.m. really messes up your sleep schedule, but the sunrises and chipper coworkers make the early alarm worth it. It was during that time I took on WBIR’s long-standing franchise, Buddy Check 10. The goal of the program is to encourage people to do breast self-checks every tenth of the month to encourage breast cancer awareness and early detection. These are some of my favorite stories to tell because the breast cancer fighters and survivors I interview usually have more hope and insight than anyone.

Plus, the stories make an impact in ways you can and can’t see directly. After a year, I transitioned to work as a full-time general assignment reporter for our dayside shows, namely the 5 and 6 o’clock show. I covered everything from crashes, shootings, the tornado in Cookeville, breast cancer fighters and survivors, inspiring stories of hope and so many things in between. My heart has always yearned to tell positive stories and shine a light on the bright spots in the community.

That’s why I applied to be the new “Live at Five at Four” reporter when both reporters on that show at the time announced they were leaving. In June 2021, I became a feature reporter for Live at Five at Four, WBIR’s lifestyle show. Now, I get to do more of what I love, which is so fulfilling and soul-replenishing. I’ve never been the investigative, hard news type. My mom and friends will tell you that every time I had to do a sad or hard-hitting story, they sort of snickered because that is so not my personality.

In July 2021, our weekend evening anchor decided to leave WBIR, and my boss asked if I would fill in while they looked for a replacement. I agreed and jumped at the opportunity. After a couple of months, my boss asked if I would like the weekend evening anchor spot on a more permanent basis. It meant working weekends, but I didn’t care if it meant I got to do my feature reporting throughout the week and anchor on the weekends. It’s like a dream come true. You can catch me on the desk at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on WBIR and 10 p.m. on FOX43 every Saturday and Sunday.

I am learning every day how to be a better storyteller, leader, and journalist. I find great joy in creatively shooting, writing, and editing each story I do. Yes, you read that right, I do not have a “cameraman.” I do my own stunts and I like it that way, plus that’s how I was taught in college, so I know no different. I pinch myself every day that I get to do this for a living.

I feel like every story is like a field trip and you never know where you’ll end up or who you will meet. I am looking forward to more opportunities to grow and tell the stories of people in East Tennessee, too!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing in life is really ever “smooth sailing.” My path in journalism is no different. Working in news can definitely take its toll on you mentally, and that’s one of the biggest obstacles I have faced. When I was general assignment reporting, I found it difficult to separate myself from the subject and “turn off” those thoughts while off work. Some of the things you see and talk about have a profound effect on you.

One instance I remember in particular came in March 2020. Right before the pandemic started, tornadoes struck and destroyed parts of Cookeville. Families were hurt and some were killed. I was the first and only reporter from my station sent out there for the first day after the destruction took place. I was not prepared for what I saw. I still had to do my job. I had to stick a camera and microphone in the faces of people who were seriously struggling. I felt guilty. I watched and listened as the death toll kept rising.

I worked all day by myself that day, from morning to night. When I got to my hotel room that night, I broke down and sobbed. I couldn’t help it. It was uncontrollable tears. Tears for the people who lost so much. Tears for my guilt. Tears for the situation. I got up and did hits for the morning show, reliving the day prior. That day changed me. Then, of course, the pandemic started and we had to start working from home. That was incredibly isolating and lonely. Luckily, my company, TEGNA, offered free therapist and counseling sessions.

I enrolled and found a lot of fulfillment in those meetings. I did them over the phone.  It was helpful to have someone listen as a third party and give me advice on how to cope. I decided to share my journey with diagnosed anxiety and depression on-air as part of WBIR’s Mental Health Monday series. Sharing my story helped others know they weren’t alone, that it’s okay to get help and it also was a sort of catharsis for me as well.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an anchor and multimedia journalist.

Being a multimedia journalist means I am a “one-woman show” so to speak. I shoot, write and edit all of my own stories. A lot of people are surprised to know that. Typically, they picture a reporter, videographer duo. While that was certainly true before the recession, it’s not anymore. Students are now taught in college how to do it all. We have more skills than ever, like a swiss army knife.

I am also a weekend evening anchor. I come in every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. and get to work reading the show, making adjustments, and mentoring the people on the weekends. I also work to get the information confirmed and sources lined up for the shows. Then, of course, I’m on the air at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. to anchor the evening news. Anchors don’t just come in and read off of a teleprompter. It’s much more than that. We also do all our own hair and makeup.

I specialize in the feature stories in our community. I shed a positive light on people, places, and things. I am also in charge of our monthly Buddy Check 10 series, where I produce stories with breast cancer fighters and survivors. I encourage self-checks, mammograms, and awareness during that segment to ultimately save lives.

How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is knowing I am able to help others in a positive way. I love seeing the impact a story can have on an individual or family. The best feeling is knowing someone received help or support because of a story I did.

Cute baby animals and spending time with my family also make me happy. While the two are not related, I am very close with my family and love spending quality time with them. Being so close to home really helps.

I am a believer in singing into hairbrushes and dancing in the kitchen when getting ready and making food. That’s the boost of serotonin I thrive off of.

Contact Info:

• Email: kinman@wbir.com
• Website: wbir.com
• Instagram: @katie_inmantv
• Facebook: facebook.com/katieinmantv
• Twitter: twitter.com/katie_Inman
• Other: katieinman.com