#MediaMonday – Jay Hancock
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Jay Hancock is a multiple award-winning photojournalist with Salt Lake City’s NBC affiliate. He also serves on the board of the Rocky Mountain chapter of NATAS, which is dedicated to excellence in television by honoring exceptional work through the prestigious Emmy Award.
Jay, time to share:
I’ve been with KSL since 2019 and it’s been a great experience working with amazing staff that care for our community and the stories that come out of Utah.
I decided to start my career in television after spending much of my childhood making home movies with friends and family. An amazing high school teacher steered me into an internship with KUTV which turned into a part time job while I attended college. Starting full time in 1998, I worked in production, then moved to editing and then to the role of photojournalist – a position I have held for the last decade. I am fortunate to have been awarded 12 Rocky Mountain Regional Emmys and 34 total nominations for my work. I’ve also received awards from the National Press Photographers Association in West Top and General regions, where I am a regular participant. In addition to general news photography, I have national event coverage experience working as a freelance photographer for ESPN, ABC and Windfall TV, covering winter and summer sports in Park City.
In addition to my career in television, I am a military veteran who served eight years in the Utah National Guard. I also briefly stepped out of broadcasting to pursue an interest in marketing, but the fast pace of TV and my passion for storytelling brought me back to the field. In the 20 years that I have been a part of TV news, I have covered a wide range of events including breaking news, politics, and natural disasters.
My passion truly is mentoring those starting out in television. I wouldn’t be where I am without those that have shared their passion and experience in our field. I’ve had the chance to learn from some of the great people in Utah television and love to help others as they continue to learn and grow in their journey through the broadcasting industry.
My wife Meghan and I have two sons. Meghan is also a photojournalist for the KSL team and storytelling is a big part of our adventure together. When we’re not working, we spend our time traveling Utah and exploring our stunning national parks. Hiking has become a big thing for our little family. We’re all big fans of Star Wars, Marvel and playing video games together.
You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
