Emily Kirk, known to many for her great attitude and upbeat personality, has been on Central Oregonians’ TVs for nearly nine years. Kirk grew up in Portland and started her journalism career in college at the University of Oregon. While her dream was always to go into sports reporting, she eventually tried her hand at weather reporting during an internship in Eugene and was surprised at how much she enjoyed it.
She started her Central Oregon career at News Channel 21 in 2014 then came to Central Oregon Daily News in 2020. Kirk had tried other avenues but felt that weather reporting, along with her food and outdoor segments, let her really be herself, allowing her personality to shine through.
“I’ve never been a very serious person,” she said, adding that she was voted “class clown” her senior year of high school.
The experiences, and the chance to get to know the community, are her favorite things about her job. Kirk has jumped out of a plane, gone whitewater rafting and ridden an ATV – all of which she was able to do through her work.
“Mostly, I value how easily it’s been to connect with the community, I don’t take any of that for granted. For me, that’s been the most important takeaway from this career, just being submerged into a community.”
Second place: Scott Elnes
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2024.
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