205. Reporting Live w/ Jenni Lee

Asian in Austin

Jenni Lee is an investigative reporter and Midday anchor at KVUE in Austin, Texas. Jenni joined the KVUE news Team in June 2015 as the Weekend Daybreak anchor and weekday reporter but the veteran journalist has worked in the Austin TV market since 2001.

Before arriving in Austin, Jenni worked at KBTX-TV in Bryan and College Station after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. For more than 20 years now, Jenni has been breaking and covering stories important to our community and to our world. Her work has been recognized by several organizations: the Texas Associated Press of Broadcasters; the Lone Star Emmy Chapter; the American Cancer Society; the Diversity Council and the Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities.

Jenni was born and raised in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. She is married, has a son, adopted two crazy rescue dogs and is raising all of them. She no longer does gymnastics.

NOTE: This episode was recorded in Summer of 2023.

Topics Covered:

• The origins of her interest in journalism
• Her experience with gymnastics
• Taking a break from anchoring
• One of the most challenging stories she's had to cover.
• Reporting during the height of the Stop Asian Hate movement
• AAPI representation in news reporting and in media and her experience in that
• Separating work from home life and the importance of work/life balance and self care exercises
• The story Jenni still wants to share
• The importance of mental health
• What brought Jenni to Austin and what's kept her here
• What does Jenni want to be known for?
• Her relationship to her ethnic identity today.

Materials Referenced:

• 3 Part KVUE Series: The fasting-growing minority segment in Austin - AAPI
• Kome, Coco's Cafe, Qi Austin
• 99 Ranch, 85 Bakery, Soup Leaf Hot Pot
• Pew - Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
• KVUE: Jenni Lee