Communiqué
WOUB Employee Spotlight: News Editor-In-Chief Allison Hunter
< < Back toATHENS, OH – The WOUB Newsroom has been busy lately. Even though News Editor-in-Chief Allison Hunter admits she’s tired, she knows the work being done is crucial during this time.
“I feel like we are doing the best we can to keep up with what’s going on locally and nationally,” said Hunter. “We’re giving our viewers, listeners and readers the information as it’s happening. Of course, we are providing information on the closing and reopening of businesses, but we’re also going beyond the events and getting to the issues in our region.”
Before starting at WOUB in 2014, Hunter spent two decades working in commercial television broadcast news serving in many different roles which included executive producer, assistant news director and interim news director. She performed those jobs in several different cities including Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles.
“After 20 years in the commercial news industry, I wanted to work with young, emerging journalists,” said Hunter. “When the opportunity came to work here at WOUB, it felt like a homecoming. I graduated from Ohio University and worked at WOUB spinning records in the late 80s. This opportunity to work in the newsroom here felt right.”
Hunter completed her master’s degree at Ohio University during her time at WOUB. While working in the WOUB newsroom, students get to know Hunter well. But, there are a few things she keeps close to the vest.
“I grew up in Peekskill, New York, a suburb of New York City,” Hunter said. “At 16, I was a debutante as part of an NAACP community organization. I learned how to waltz, wear a white dress and do everything, the whole nine yards.”
Even though students don’t know all her secrets, Hunter has enjoyed the opportunity to mentor and coach them while working for a respected public media outlet.
“Public Media has such respect built in,” said Hunter. “There are very few places and very few news organizations where the integrity and trust is built in, and public media comes with that. It’s a badge of honor when I tell people I work for WOUB.”