#MediaMonday – Lori Jane Gliha
It was so nice to see the news announcing Lori Jane Gliha is joining the Scripps Washington bureau as a member of its Newsy investigative reporting team. Newsy is the only free, over-the-air live 24/7 news network. Right now, the newsgathering operation has journalists in 14 news bureaus across the country.
Lori is nationally recognized for her exclusive, in-depth investigations, hard-hitting interviews and continuous coverage of important issues. She has reported from more than 30 states, including right here in the Grand Canyon State, where she spent six years at KNXV, the ABC affiliate here in Phoenix.
Most recently, she worked as an investigative reporter for FOX31 in Denver, Colo.
Lori, congratulations on the new position. We’d love to learn a bit more about you:
How did you get into journalism?
My sister jokingly likes to take credit for my TV journalism career. After she and my dad won a VCR and camcorder in a national recipe contest in the 1980s, most of my subsequent school projects involved me making a video or pretending to be a TV news reporter.
I loved emulating newscasters like the national anchor, Connie Chung, and our local Phoenix anchors and reporters like Jodi Applegate and Heidi Foglesong.
In 6th grade, I wrote for a kids’ newspaper publication, Essential News, which was also affiliated with a local TV station (then FOX15). I would interview people over the phone about everything from dermatology to recycling.
My very first article, about National Handwriting Day, was selected to be featured on a TV newsbreak that I would anchor. My family and I shot some video for the segment, and my mom took me down to the studio to shoot my first of several newsbreaks.
It was so much fun, and I was privileged to have had such supportive parents as I was embarking on this adventure. When I learned broadcast journalism was something I could pursue in college and professionally, it was a no-brainer to continue along that path.
One of my first television investigations happened when I was a student at the University of Southern California. I was initially preparing a feature story on the bacon-wrapped hotdogs being grilled outside of the football stadium on portable carts.
Football fans would wait in line for several minutes, watching the hotdogs sizzle on the grill before devouring the mouthwatering meal. But when police shut down one of the carts while dozens of hungry customers stood by, I knew there was more to the story. I caught it all on camera, too! I skipped the football game and chased after the vendor as he was being escorted away to find out why he was being kicked off campus.
What are some of your favorite stories that you’ve been a part of?
I have been fortunate to have had an interesting and exciting career that has taken me around the United States and to several countries to cover stories. When I worked as a national correspondent for Al Jazeera America, I had the opportunity to fly to the Netherlands to cover the destruction and crash of flight MH17; to Jamaica to report on emerging marijuana laws; and to Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, to cover the influx of Central American migrants at the southern border.
I’m proud of the investigations I did as a reporter for ABC15 in Phoenix, especially the work that shed light on a series of suicides at the Phoenix Fire Department. Our reporting led to increased mental health programs and awareness.
Recently, my investigative reporting in Denver, on the use of ketamine, by paramedics, to sedate agitated people outside of a hospital setting, led to national awareness, new state health policies, and a new state law in Colorado.
The story that makes me smile the most, however, happened when I was a reporter in Saginaw, Mich. I tracked down two winners of a massive Mega Millions lottery jackpot. The community was delighted to know a winner had come from their hometown, but at first, no one knew who those winners were. I happened to be in the right place at the right time when the two winners came into the convenience store to check on their winning ticket. It was so exciting and fun! I even held the winning ticket in my hand for a few seconds. That was the story for which I won my first regional Emmy Award!
Top three places to visit?
I don’t think I can choose three top places to visit.
I’d say the best place to go is wherever my family is!
Meanwhile, there are some incredible sites to see in Colorado, where I live now. I love the jaw-dropping hikes in Telluride, Steamboat Springs, and Aspen. Visiting the mountains truly challenges your body while nourishing your mind.
Where did you grow up?
I mostly grew up in Tempe (third grade through high school). As an adult, I also worked in Arizona at the Scripps station, ABC15, for about six years.
Favorite type of music?
This is a tough one! My taste is pretty eclectic. It might be easier for me to choose my least favorite music. I’m probably least likely to listen to heavy metal.
Last book you read?
The last book I read was Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous. It’s by Suzanne Park, one of my sister’s talented friends. She has written several young adult and rom-com novels. She’s a clever woman, and I’m proud to support her work!
What do you do in your spare time?
I love writing music! I take guitar lessons and record my songs with my teacher. We post them on Reverb Nation. He usually has a recital, Guitarbeque, every six months. It’s pretty cool because the students get to play with a drummer and a bass player!
I also love baking, hiking, and exercising!
Three things readers would be surprised to know about you?
I played varsity badminton in high school.
I played violin for eight years.
I took my first ski lesson right before the pandemic hit and just bought my first pair of skis during a sale this summer.
A bonus: I minored in Spanish.
Tell us about Newsy and what types of stories you’ll be working on.
Newsy, owned by Scripps, is the only over-the-air live, 24/7 news network. Even if you “cut the cord,” you can still access it! (https://www.newsy.com/where-to-watch/) I have joined the incredibly intelligent Scripps Washington Bureau investigative team. In-depth, impactful journalism is a priority.
My investigations will appear on Newsy, and a version of my reports may also appear on the local TV affiliates that Scripps owns throughout the country, including ABC15 in Phoenix.
I will be investigating all kinds of topics, shedding light on important issues and holding people accountable for their decisions and actions.
Just like my most recent job, I’m not limited to any particular issue.
Are you open to receiving story pitches?
Of course!
Contact Email: lorijane.gliha@scripps.com
Social media handles: Twitter and Instagram: @ljgliha, Facebook: @lorijaneinvestigator
