Meghan Reistad ’14 ABC 6 News Reporter
Meghan Reistad ’14 attended St. Cloud State for its broadcast journalism program, a decision she would never regret.
Since sophomore year in high school Reistad knew she wanted to become a journalist. She conducted a research project on Katie Couric, a television journalist, talk-show host and author, and was inspired to do the same.
“Learning about her life, I learned more about journalism. From there, I really couldn’t picture myself doing anything else,” Reistad said.
Once she got to St. Cloud State, Reistad joined UTVS and experienced reporting, anchoring and producing, yet another good decision she made.
“I transferred to SCSU for the broadcast program. It was, no question, one of the best decisions I made,” Reistad mentioned. “UTVS gives students the tools they need to be successful. Going into my job, I had a good understanding of what to expect.”
Reistad gained professional experience as a television journalist while interning at WESH 2 News in Winter Park, Fla. She was doing her second college program at Walt Disney World from August to December 2012, and also wanted to work on her career goals while playing in Orlando.
“Interning at WESH gave me a taste of news from a large market perspective,” Reistad said. “I got to experience a wide variety of news and help out with the 2012 presidential election night coverage. There’s no better place to be on an election night!”
Throughout the next year, Reistad held two other internship positions. At Townsquare Media in St. Cloud she helped write, film and edit content for the 98 Country website and assisted with radio broadcasts and news content.
Then, she adventured north to Northland’s NewsCenter in Duluth for the summer of 2013. This internship gave her a preview of what to expect as a reporter in a small market.
Reistad now works for ABC 6 News in Southern Minnesota as a reporter. However, she started working there part time before graduating in May.
With a mass communications degree in hand backed by a supplementary major in communication studies, Reistad was ready to start her full time career.
“No two days are ever the same,” Reistad adds. “Each day, I take something that’s happening and turn it into a story for people to learn about.”
On a typical day as a reporter she researches, shoots video, edits and writes her own stories for the newscasts.
“The best part of my job is telling stories. I get to experience things and then tell others about it. It’s awesome! I love meeting people who are making a difference and sharing what they’re doing with others.”
