WNIN's Samantha Horton is among the best of the next generation of journalists who will serve her chosen profession in the coming years.
Samantha exhibits all of the characteristics of a traditional shoe-leather reporter- determination, hard work, willing to work nights, weekends and holidays if necessary to get the story. Samantha also has a quality increasingly rare among young reporters- she has the heart of a storyteller. Even mundane general news stories come alive when Sam adds observations of the little things that add color to her body of work.
As a millennial journalist, Samantha excels at online and social media applications. She doubles as our newsroom web producer. Her leadership is evident in the many advances we have made as new distribution platforms come into use.
Samantha also led our move to video newsgathering. WNIN is now a fully integrated, multi-media news organization thanks to her hard work.
In 2017, Samantha’s hard work and talent were rewarded when she was named as WNIN’s reporter for the Side Effects Public Media cohort of regional and national health reporters. Sam has contributed a number of stories to that cohort, extending its reach into Southwest Indiana and Kentucky. Please check out her Side Effects reporting at the link provided with this entry.
Please enjoy reviewing this entry. We ask for your support of the high honor of an Associated Press Best Reporter award.
Entry rundown:
00-3:18- Spot news reporting, including the aftermath of a tornado, a murder suspect’s court appearance and a follow-up hearing.
3:19-7:48- General news reporting, including a teacher’s award, an ALCOA company announcement, a tension-filled vigil following a police chase car crash and the introduction of pedicabs in Evansville.
7:48-11:30- A two-way business interview for a live broadcast of the opening of a convention hotel, and the introduction of a victim’s therapy dog at the prosecutor’s office.
11:31-14:47- Feature from the totality area of the 2017 solar eclipse in western Kentucky.