Former WSMV news anchor Demetria Kalodimos visited campus to speak to students at Monday evening’s Media Masters hosted by Lipscomb’s communication and journalism department.
Senior journalism and new media major Erin Franklin interviewed Kalodimos about her experiences working in broadcast news and her perspectives on the journalism industry.
Kalodimos’ career in journalism began after she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan University. During her time in college as a music major, Kalodimos said she realized she had a passion for journalism. She went on to get a master’s in journalism from the University of Illinois.
In a virtually unheard-of situation, Kalodimos immediately began her career working as a weekend anchor and weekday reporter.
“That first big break was super important,” Kalodimos said.
Kalodimos joined WSMV in Nashville in the 1980s, and said that although the news climate has changed over the years, she thinks there’s still good to come.
“Some of these nonprofits that are forming to do news without a slant or do more in-depth or real news, that’s maybe where the future is,” Kalodimos said.
“When you take the dollars out… I think you can get back to the real mission, which is informing people and questioning what’s not right.”
Currently, Kalodimos is continuing journalistic work — documentary-style.
“I’ve been running around doing longer form stories — just things that I’ve always wanted to do that weren’t necessarily ready for primetime…it’s just part of me. I can’t see a good story and ignore it.”
Most of those in attendance were communication students, and despite the changes facing the news business today, Kalodimos said she still would “absolutely” encourage students to go into the field of broadcast journalism.
“The landscape is hugely open, the work is getting more and more exciting, and the bar is getting higher.”