Lane Luckie honored by alma mater as Distinguished Communications Professional

Journalist Lane Luckie, an alumnus of Northwestern State University, was recently recognized by the Department of New Media, Journalism and Communication Arts with a Distinguished Communications Professional Award during a luncheon and program on Friday, April 4. Luckie was honored alongside media strategist Valsin Marmillion and the late famed sportswriter Jerry Byrd. Created in 2021,…

The future of Journalism and Communications is now

Aspiring communications professionals have never had more opportunities to pursue their passions for journalism and content creation. Schools like my Alma Mater, Northwestern State University, are creating pathways for students to thrive in a multimedia-driven workplace. The university’s Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts recently held its 51st Journalism and Media Day to…

Lane Luckie earns German media prize for international reporting

Lane Luckie was honored Monday night as a recipient of a RIAS Media Prize award for his reports from Germany last September. The 32nd annual awards are presented by the RIAS Berlin Commission and celebrates some of the best of transatlantic broadcast journalism. The winners were celebrated at a gala ceremony at Berlin’s Meistersaal, a…

Looking back: A teen reporter on Capitol Hill

An unexpected flood of memories recently reminded me of one of the most formative experiences of my adolescence. I pulled a scrapbook and photos out of a storage closet after realizing it’s been 20 years since I attended Presidential Classroom in Washington, D.C. Flipping through my workbook, hand-written notes, and photographs provided a rush of…

Marking 15 years at Your East Texas News Leader

Today marks 15 years since I first arrived at KLTV, KTRE! It’s a great reminder of how blessed I am to pursue my passion in life here in East Texas. From the Berlin Wall to the Great Wall of China, it’s been a privilege to take you around the world to show you how the…

East Texas delegation visits Ukrainian refugee center in Poland

Members of a delegation from the City of Tyler and the Tyler Sister Cities organization visited a Ukrainian refugee resource center set up in Tyler’s sister city of Jelenia Góra, Poland on Wednesday. Much of the food and supplies handed out here were purchased with private donations from East Texas effort that collected more than…

Texas weathers historic winter storm

The effects of a week below freezing and record-setting winter weather will certainly be felt long after East Texas begins to thaw. Starting Sunday, February 14, much of Texas faced a period of historic cold. Snow, freezing rain, and ice triggered the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Warning lasting several days. In…

Showing off Tyler, Texas as Lone Star Emmy Awards goes virtual

This year’s Lone Star Emmy Awards show is going virtual due to the pandemic. When my co-anchor Erika Bazaldua and I were asked to be presenters in a taped broadcast, we thought it’d be a great idea to show off ‘The Rose Capital of America’ during our segment. Tyler’s Rose Garden Center and Museum served…

Talking Politics: Analyzing Texas election outcomes with international journalists

With a historic voter turnout in Texas during an unprecedented pandemic, the 2020 general election will likely be studied for years. President Donald Trump garnered roughly 600 thousand more votes in the Lone Star State than Democratic challenger Joe Biden, upending pundits’ predictions that Texas would turn “blue.” Democrats did make in-roads, expanding their reach…

Election 2020: The Morning After

What an awesome opportunity, the morning after the election, talking to students about the role of journalism in democracy. Journalism teacher Josh Ault, a former KXAS-TV (NBC 5) reporter and fellow Northwestern State University alum, invited me to lead a virtual Q&A with his class at Southlake ISD’s Dawson Middle School. There’s a reason why…

International broadcaster exchange brings German journalist to KLTV/KTRE newsroom

An international exchange program is bringing another journalist from Germany to work side-by-side with the largest news organization in East Texas, KLTV and KTRE. Andreas Mitzkus will spend the next week shadowing and learning from producers, anchors, reporters, photographers, digital content producers, and news managers in the KLTV and KTRE newsroom. Mitzkus is a producer…

How to make the most out of a journalism fellowship

For journalists, a fellowship can provide unmatched mid-career professional development and opportunities for meaningful personal growth. Having completed fellowships with the RIAS Berlin Commission and the East-West Center, I was recently invited to share my own experiences in a panel discussion at RTDNA/SPJ’s annual ‘Excellence in Journalism’ conference. These international reporting experiences required a significant…

NASA opens $5M Apollo mission control room restoration for public tours

As the country marks 50 years since the history-making Apollo 11 moon landing, visitors to Space Center Houston are getting an inside look at the landmark that helped make the ‘giant leap’ possible. Three weeks ago, NASA and Space Center Houston unveiled a $5 million dollar renovation of Mission Operations Control Room 2, which was…

Lane Luckie elected president of NSU Alumni Association board

Lane Luckie is bringing more than a decade of experience to his new role as president of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association board of directors. In this volunteer capacity, the 2008 graduate will lead a 32-person board in working to promote the advancement of academic excellence by developing coalitions among alumni, students, friends and…

A legend among giants: Remembering Kenny Boles

It’s now been a year since KLTV & KTRE lost our longtime news director, Kenny Boles, who was called home unexpectedly in 2018 after a short battle with cancer. His impact in the lives and careers of so many of my colleagues keeps Kenny in the forefront of what we do each day. A plaque…

Honored again with a 2018 Lone Star EMMY award

We are so honored to have been recognized with a Regional Emmy® award from the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Outstanding achievement in Morning/Daytime Newscast – Smaller Markets (61+). I truly get to work with some of the best people I know. We wanted to dedicate this…

NSU J-Day, an opportunity to reconnect with my “why”

I’m always honored to be invited to speak at my alma mater, Northwestern State University. Their annual J-Day is connects future journalists with communications professionals to discuss trends in the industry, news philosophy, and career advice. High school students from around Louisiana and Texas are also participating in journalism competitions, listening to keynote lectures, and…

Lane Luckie selected as fellow for East-West Center journalist exchange in China

Award-winning journalist Lane Luckie has been selected to travel to China this Fall to explore the current issues related to the important bilateral relationship between the world’s two largest economies. As a fellow of the East-West Center’s China-United States Journalist Exchange, the KLTV anchor and reporter will travel to Asia September 7-21, 2018. “As changes…

Reporter’s Notes: Lessons learned in Germany

As I stepped off the platform onto my train to the Frankfurt Airport, my world seemed to transform into a slow motion flood of memories. After three weeks in Germany as a fellow with the RIAS Berlin Commission, this life experience had just become my standard by which all others will be measured. Gazing out…