Former Southeastern Channel news anchor-reporter Amanda Kitch provided storm-related coverage in her role as a news and traffic reporter for WAFB-TV Ch. 9 (CBS) in Baton Rouge during the 2020 hurricane season. As the featured reporter for WAFB’s brand new 4 pm. newscast, “9 News at 4”, Kitch created informative news stories like a financial checklist to ready for hurricane season, how to financially prepare for a storm even if your emergency fund is low, generator tips to keep your family safe, avoiding charity scams during a storm how to safely take in hurricane evacuees during a pandemic and first responders to Lake Charles after Hurricane Laura. Kitch was hired at “9 News at 4” after working a year as producer and reporter for WAFB’s popular “Louisiana Weekend” lifestyle series. For “9 News at 4”, Kitch focused most of her daily reporting on money-saving ideas for families, ways to keep children entertained during the “stay at home order”, and ways to keep families safe and healthy. A former anchor-reporter-producer for the Southeastern Channel’s national award-winning student newscast, “Northshore News”, Kitch won first place in the nation twice and second place in the country once in a three-year span for “Best TV Hard News Reporting” given by College Broadcaster’s, Inc. out of all student TV news reporters from all universities throughout the nation. With Kitch as anchor, producer, and reporter, “Northshore News” won second in the nation in 2019 for “Best College TV Newscast” as honored by CBI. Kitch was also recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, winning second place in the nation for her “Broadcast News Feature Videography.” While at the Southeastern Channel Kitch also won a slew of regional awards given by the Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Press College Broadcasters, Southeast Journalism Conference (40 universities from 8 states), and Suncoast Emmys. A May 2019 graduate of Southeastern, Kitch was hired at WAFB three months before she graduated.
