We want to acknowledge a difficult change for us here at the PBS News Hour. Over the past six years, our bureau in Phoenix has provided excellent reporting from that part of the country and produced an updated broadcast for stations in the Pacific time zone. But even strong and successful partnerships sometimes come to an end.
Geoff Bennett:
Before we go, we want to acknowledge a difficult change for us here at the “PBS News Hour.”
Over the past six years, our bureau in Phoenix has provided excellent reporting from that region and produced an updated broadcast for stations in the Pacific time zone known as “News Hour West.”
But even strong and successful partnerships sometimes come to an end. With our partners at Arizona State University, budgeting realities brought about this change. Some of those on our “News Hour West” team will be staying on with PBS News, while others move on to new endeavors.
“News Hour” correspondent Stephanie Sy has been the anchor of “News Hour West,” and she joins us now.
So, Steph, it’s great to see you.
Tell us what you and the team are proudest of as you look back on the work you have done there.
Stephanie Sy:
Yes, I have some stuff in the prompter, but I just want to go from my heart here, Geoff.
I mean, this has been an incredible, important, worthy and successful experiment. For the last six years, this “News Hour West” bureau nightly has updated the news summary for our West Coast viewers, making sure that they have the very latest news.
That has meant that we were on the air when the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. We were on the air when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, when Congress passed major legislation. And we did that all with a surprisingly small and scrappy team.
I mean, there were only four of us on the editorial side at “News Hour.” And what we really depended on from a technical standpoint was our partnership with ASU. And that meant we were more than a newsroom. We were a teaching hospital. That’s what we would call ourselves, because we were mentoring and coaching students who were helping to put the program on the air.
I don’t know of any other national news program that is nightly put on the air by college students from a campus in Arizona. So it was an incredible endeavor.
I’m also really proud of the fact that we had 30 interns working with us throughout the last six years, and many of them are now working journalists with this incredible experience of having worked at the “News Hour.”
Geoff Bennett:
So, the news updates are ending, but you are staying.
Stephanie Sy:
I am, Geoff. And I’m very fortunate to be able to continue to report for the “News Hour.”
My heart goes out to all of our public broadcasting colleagues who have seen their positions eliminated. And I sure am going to miss this team.
All right, guys, come on in. I just want to bring all of the folks in. We have our editorial folks here on my right. I want to name some of them, Phil Maravilla, Madison Staten, Lena Jackson, Vanessa Ruiz. We have our interns.
And then Gregg Elder, who is behind the camera, but I’m going to say his name — come on in, Gregg — who led the technical staff and many of our students and mentored and coached.
I’m going to miss all of you. You made my job awesome. And I love you. Thank you.
Geoff Bennett:
Well, thanks to all of you there for your hard work over the years and for the terrific reporting you have brought to the “News Hour.” We are most appreciative.
And, Stephanie, we will see you soon.
Stephanie Sy:
Thank you.
