Kyle Clark

About

Local news can build and strengthen communities. Local news can also corrode trust, incite fear, and make neighbors wary of one another. As journalists, the choice is ours to make. I believe local journalism is a unifying force for good in divided times. We need to do this work on a daily basis, not just once in a while. My nightly news program, Next with Kyle Clark, is Colorado's most-watched local newscast. It didn't start out that way. We lost more than half our viewers in 2016 when we launched our new approach to local news: blending explanatory reporting, analysis and commentary, along with meaningful viewer participation in tackling the biggest issues facing Colorado. Our team attracted a new viewing audience by incorporating diverse voices from our community and delivering nightly on our promise of a local newscast that is smart, funny, and honest. Next's weekly microgiving campaign, Word of Thanks, highlights solutions to Colorado's most pressing problems. Through $5 donations, Next viewers have raised more than $10M for more than 100 small to mid-sized non-profits in Colorado since 2020. That collaboration with our viewers gives them the power to do more than just watch the news. They make change in our community. Our evolving approach to meeting the needs of our viewers has earned Next the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation five times since 2016. I've been honored to help TEGNA colleagues at stations across the country develop and launch their own innovative newscasts tailored to their communities. Next is a collaborative approach to exploring life in Colorado. Our connection with the audience is driven by one-to-one engagement on social media through my 275,000 followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram combined with another 125,000 followers of Next's social media accounts. We listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and share those conversations throughout each episode of Next. My political reporting is rooted in the idea that our neighbors, regardless of their political ideology, believe in truth, fairness, transparency, and accountability. Powerful people and institutions should face direct yet respectful questions and provide direct yet respectful answers to the public. Going to work each day to get those answers for our community is a privilege. Local journalism matters now more than ever. Let's give our community something worth watching every single day!