A correspondent for a German TV network is learning about local journalism from the largest news organization in East Texas. Tom Garus of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), an affiliate of the internationally respected ARD network, just completed a week embedded in the KLTV newsroom in Tyler. Based in Berlin, he serves as reporter and moderator for…
Tag: Journalism
Donna McCollum: 44 Years as the Voice for Deep East Texas
In our industry, a tenure this long is uncommon. But that’s Donna — truly exceptional — both as a journalist and as a person. Retirement is a bittersweet moment for a beloved collegiate. KTRE and KLTV veteran reporter Donna McCollum is retiring after an amazing career of 44 years telling the stories of Deep East…
Pro-democracy Hong Kong news organization to end operations after police raid
In another major blow to independent journalism in Hong Kong, police have raided the offices of Stand News, a non-profit online media outlet. According to the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, more than 200 officers were involved in a search of Stand News offices and the homes of current and former…
Inside German broadcaster Welt’s new Berlin headquarters
It’s all hands on deck for election week at the Welt TV network, which is owned by German media giant Axel Springer. The Bundestag elections in September are the first major parliamentary election broadcast from Welt’s studio inside the new Axel Springer Building. The facility, along Zimmerstrasse in Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood, opened in April. The…
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…
Greta Van Susteren discusses first presidential debate of 2020
Greta weighs in on the first presidential debate of 2020, which was certainly unlike any other.
Remembering General Erbon Wise, an extraordinary life of service
I was so very sad to hear of the passing of General Erbon Wise this week, just two days shy of his 100th birthday. I always looked forward to visiting with him every Fall in Natchitoches during our NSU Alumni Association/Foundation board luncheon. My college career was possible, in large part due to his generosity,…
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…
German journalist embedded in KLTV newsroom as part of international exchange
As the main anchor of Germany’s international broadcaster, Sarah Kelly is the face of Deutsche Welle’s coverage of the world’s biggest stories. Over the last decade, her personal and professional travels have taken her from the World Economic Forum to the G-20 summit, though, a three-week whirlwind tour of the U.S., including a week in…
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…
Celebrating a trailblazer among women in broadcasting
Many broadcasters spend their careers moving from city to city, hopping among newsrooms until they find the perfect fit. Very few people can say they’ve worked in any industry for nearly 50 years, let alone spending 44 years in one company. Veteran journalist Joan Hallmark is celebrating an extraordinary tenure with the KLTV and KTRE…
KLTV newsroom hosts German journalist in Trans-Atlantic exchange
As so-called ‘cord cutting’ and mobile technology trends drive the ways consumers connect with news and information, journalists are constantly adapting to the needs of their audiences. For more than two decades, an exchange program for American and German broadcasters has been building bridges of understanding — both personally and professionally. More than 1,200 American…
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…
Honored with a 2017 Lone Star EMMY award
I’m so honored to have been recognized with a Regional EMMY from the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Outstanding achievement in Morning/Daytime Newscast – Smaller Markets (61+). We have a tremendously talented and dedicated morning news team. Our viewers have come to trust KLTV for exceptional coverage…
German journalist visits East Texas through RIAS exchange, spends week in KLTV newsroom
Only a week after returning from my fellowship in Europe, I had a unique chance to continue my trans-Atlantic learning exchange by hosting a German RIAS fellow in East Texas. Charlotte Potts, a presenter for ZDF and political correspondent for Deutsche Welle, is no stranger to the U.S., having lived in Washington, DC for seven…
Post-war American radio station in Berlin lives on in trans-Atlantic exchange program
Even though history has outlived the iconic German radio station RIAS, its legacy lives on in the form of a trans-Atlantic exchange program for journalists in the United States and Germany. The program is named for the radio station RIAS, or Radio In the American Sector, which was founded by the U.S. in 1946. After…
WATCH: 2017 German federal election results & reaction
Lane Luckie reports from SPD party headquarters in Berlin, Germany after the Social Democrats’ historic loss in the 2017 Bundestag elections. Click the video below to watch.
Fmr. Texas senator addresses N. Korea threats in first month as NATO ambassador
Kay Bailey Hutchison, the former U.S. Senator from Texas, is stepping into a new role on the international stage as tensions continue to escalate between the U.S. and North Korea. Hutchison was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, on August 15, and has spent much of her first…
KLTV anchor Lane Luckie to participate in broadcast journalist exchange abroad
I am embarking on an immersive learning opportunity that I suspect will become the standard by which all others will be measured in my life.
Lane Luckie selected to become Fellow for RTDNF German/American exchange
Lane Luckie, a news anchor, producer, and reporter at KLTV in Tyler, Texas has been selected to join a group of 14 producers, reporters, editors, and online journalists from across the country to become Fellows the middle of September during the height of the German election campaign. It will be the largest group of American…
A chance to chat with the next generation of journalists
Learning is a lifelong adventure for any committed journalist, a journey shaped by academic studies, real world application, and experiences shared by those working in the field. There’s always an opportunity to grow for those open to it. Looking back on my college years, I was fortunate to have been exposed to constant advice from professors…
WATCH: Fire alarm interrupts GMET newscast
Click here to watch what happens when an unexpected fire alarm interrupts Good Morning East Texas!
Behind the scenes of my annual tie tribute
I’ve really grown to love this tradition. Every year, I pull this necktie out of the closet and wear it on or around my grandfather’s birthday. He retired it from his collection and “passed it down” to me when I was in high school, a few years before he died. Sunday would have been “Paw…
Remembering a pioneer in East Texas television history
This week, we learned of the passing of KLTV’s first chief engineer, Hudson Collins, who lived a long life of 94 years. While I never had the opportunity to meet him, I’m fascinated by many of the details of his pioneering career. An engineer is an important position in any television station, but he holds…
WATCH: CNN’s Candy Crowley joins GMET for Presidential Debate analysis
Click here to watch CNN’s Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley join Good Morning East Texas for a preview the October 16, 2012 presidential debate.
WATCH: Power line wildfire spreads through Jasper County
Click the video below to watch my report on the ‘Power line’ wildfire spreading through Jasper County.
WATCH: Members of Congress remember Charlie Wilson
Click here to watch my coverage of memorial services for East Texas congressman Charlie Wilson.
This Isn’t Your Daddy’s Journalism
I recently had the opportunity to return to my alma mater to participate in the 41st annual Northwestern State University J-Day. Journalism Day gives discerning high school students the opportunity to attend hands-on workshops and lectures at NSU. Professionals talk with students about the changing field of journalism and mass communications and give advice on how…
Caring. Committed. Proud.
Caring. Committed. Proud… not your usual “Action News” or “On Your Side” marketing slogan. I’ve recently made a move to KTRE-TV in Lufkin/Nacogdoches, Texas to be the 6 and 10 p.m. anchor and executive producer. The slogan, which represents this station’s commitment to meaningful news coverage is known throughout the region. Over the years I’ve had the fortune of…
One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State
What will likely be remembered as one of the longest and most unpredictable presidential races in history is nearing an end. With absentee voting already underway, voter turnout could reach levels exceeding the record turnout in the 1960 presidential election between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Until recently, this campaign cycle actually focused on issues, rather…
Lane Luckie 