Michael D. Wooten
News Anchor ∙ Managing Editor ∙ Reporter
michaeldwooten12@gmail.com  ∙  304-543-3614

Media Experience

WGRZ Channel 2 News (NBC) | Buffalo, NY
Anchor/Managing Editor/Reporter
June 2014 – present
⦁    Since 2019, solo anchor of 5:30p weekday newscast, which is anchor-driven and includes in-depth segments, reporter debriefs and live interviews with newsmakers and analysts
⦁    Prior to moving to 5:30p show, anchor of Midday newscast & primary fill-in evening anchor
⦁    As managing editor since 2014, duties include helping oversee day-to-day editorial process, approving scripts, working with reporters/photographers to improve creativity and focusing on longer-term goals with other newsroom and station managers
⦁    In addition to anchoring and management duties, reporting focuses on investigative, in-depth and promotable stories that have won countless awards
⦁    Participated in national innovation workshops and worked on two national pilot projects for TEGNA, WGRZ's parent company

TEGNA Media | McLean, VA
Multi-Skilled Journalist Trainer
2015 -- 2018
⦁    Chosen as one of only about a few journalists across TEGNA's portfolio to lead two rounds of creative storytelling training for all of the company's thousands of content creators
⦁    Collectively, we visited all 46 of the company's stations in 38 different markets throughout the country and made multiple presentations at each
⦁    The goal was to show new, innovative and technologically-enhanced storytelling techniques that can improve the content we present on air and share online and on social media

WGRZ Channel 2 News (NBC) | Buffalo, NY
Weekend Morning Anchor/Reporter
December 2011 – June 2014
⦁    Solo anchor of Weekend Daybreak newscasts, including 2-hour show on Saturdays and 1.5-hour show on Sundays. Newscasts were a mix of hard news plus live interviews and human interest segments
⦁    Fill in anchoring weekday morning and evening newscasts
⦁    Report for weekday newscasts, turning day-of and investigative stories
⦁    Cultivate and develop sources in the community to generate new story ideas with an emphasis on in-depth and investigative reporting
⦁    Newsroom leader in social media and “user design” graphical techniques to improve storytelling

WGRZ Channel 2 News (NBC) | Buffalo, NY
Reporter
February 2009 – December 2011
⦁    Wrote and often edited stories with an emphasis on in-depth and investigative reporting
⦁    Reported from the scenes of nationally-significant events, including the theater shooting near Denver, hurricanes, a school shooting near Cleveland, the G20 Summit riots in Toronto and the massive blizzard to hit Washington, DC, among others. Many of these stories were presented live for sister stations across the country
⦁    Cultivated sources and was an early innovator in utilizing social media for news gathering and networking

WSAZ NewsChannel 3 (NBC) | Charleston, WV
Anchor/Reporter/Producer
January 2003 – February 2009
⦁    Started as weekend producer while still a freshman in college
⦁    Promoted to full time while a senior in college, with weekend reporting/weekday producing duties
⦁    Promoted to weekend evening anchor and weekday reporter; filled in for main anchors on a regular basis
⦁    Political editor during 2008 presidential campaign; interviewed all the major candidates (including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the same day) during the primary and general elections with an emphasis on the close contests in Southern Ohio (included in the D.M.A.) 


Education

Marshall University, W. Page Pitt School of Journalism | Huntington, WV
⦁    B.A. Broadcast Journalism, Summa Cum Laude, May 2006
⦁    Member of the Society of Yeager Scholars, a prestigious scholarship program that covered all tuition, fees, expenses, living costs, and study abroad for undergraduate education
⦁    Placed nationally in Hearst Broadcast News Competition
⦁    Recipient of Marvin L. Stone Award, the highest honor given to a journalism student

Oxford University Oxford, England
⦁    Programme In History, Politics and Society, 2004

Universidad Antonio de Nebrija | Madrid, Spain
⦁    Spanish language program, 2004


Awards/Honors

New York Emmy Award Winner ▪ Murrow Award Winner ▪ Winner of Multiple New York State Associated Press Awards ▪ 2-Time Station Employee of the Quarter


Technical Skills

ENPS ▪ Edius ▪ Google Earth Pro & Studio ▪ Adobe Photoshop ▪ Adobe After Effects ▪ Microsoft Office Suite ▪ Social Media Tools (CrowdTangle, Chartbeat, etc.) ▪ Innovative Cameras (GoPro, Poloroid Cube, DSLRs, etc.) ▪ I-News ▪ Avid Newscutter ▪ Facebook ▪ X (formerly known as Twitter)