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by Stephanie Struyck Elgin
“We are making history every day and reporting it as it happens, what an awesome responsibility.”
She’s a news junkie, and there’s definitely no denying it. She has a passion for news, a love for her community and a commitment for getting the story right. From reporting stories such as the discovery of Elizabeth Smart found alive, to the death of Michael Jackson, news anchor and Santa Clarita resident, Sandra Mitchell, tells her stories through the eyes of an experienced award winning journalist and the heart of a dedicated community member, wife and mother. She invited us on the set of the KCal9 Newsroom to experience first hand what it’s like to be a news anchor.
Sandra made her debut reporting and delivering news into our homes over 20 years ago. After graduating from Temple University School of Broadcast Journalism in Philadelphia, Sandra began reporting for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also worked for a cable television show in New Jersey, and made her way to Huntsville, Alabama, working with a CBS affiliate. “Alabama is such a fascinating place to live,” states Sandra. Shortly following, Sandra went to work for the ABC affiliate in New Orleans where she was a morning anchor and reporter for the news.
Sandra eventually made her way to Los Angeles in 1999, working for EXTRA, before transferring to the CBS affiliate KCAL9, where she is currently the co-anchor of the noon and 2 p.m. broadcasts, and solo anchor of the 3 p.m. show. “Los Angeles is a great place for news,” states Sandra. “There are a lot of crazy moments and always a rush for breaking news, whether out reporting or anchoring a desk. It’s a great experience not knowing what your workday is going to be like. I don’t consider it stressful, I consider it exciting.”
Dedicated to her profession, Sandra won’t deny she is a news junkie. “As soon as I wake up in the morning, the television goes on, as does the radio. I am constantly checking the Internet and looking to find what is going on not only in my town but all over the world…. even the radio is on as I am on my way to work.”
After getting her daily morning dose of news, it’s off to hair and makeup. “I will check in with producers, monitor what’s going on and go over my scripts, constantly reading over the scripts, rewriting things, making sure it’s conversational and most importantly, checking the facts,” states Sandra. “I am the last line of defense before the news gets to the viewers. I don’t want to just get the story, I want to get the story right.” Sandra’s day usually wraps up after a broadcast, and sometimes with an occasional tour of the station, dedicating her time to community outreach programs before heading back to her home in the Santa Clarita Valley.
“I love coming home to Santa Clarita. When I first saw our Valley, I was enchanted. It is a community that lends itself to hanging out with neighbors, enjoying a barbecue or sharing a glass of wine with friends,” states Sandra. “We live in a great community with teachers and parents who are involved.”
While free time is not as abundant for the busy news anchor, Sandra does like to spend a lot of this time with her family, enjoying the outdoors and travelling. It should serve as no surprise that Sandra also donates her time to helping out our local non-profit organizations. “I am just being a responsible community member. We all should want to do good for our own community, the place we live.”
Come meet Sandra as she will be hosting the Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc.’s 9th Annual Rubber Ducky Festival set to take place on Saturday, October 22 at Castaic Lake. For more information on the event, visit www.sdfhc.org. |
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