Jackie Kent is an Emmy award-winning general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor for KOMO News.
During her time in the Pacific Northwest, she has covered major breaking news events, elections, crime, Seattle’s homeless crisis, among other things. She won a Northwest Regional Emmy for breaking news reporting of the deadly Ingraham High School shooting, and students’ demands for more mental health resources to help prevent another tragedy. She was also nominated in the Spot News category a year later for coverage of a shooting outside a Seattle daycare, prompting more police patrols and the addition of a mobile precinct in the Central District.
Prior to her time in Seattle, Jackie worked as an anchor and reporter for CBS-affiliate KRQE in New Mexico. She held public officials accountable while covering Albuquerque’s crime problem, issues with the state’s criminal justice system and the latest COVID developments. Her reporting led the Albuquerque City Council to update an ordinance letting out-of-state visitors with disabilities access parking across the city. She also exposed a Santa Fe City Council candidate who tried running for office as a convicted felon and lied to voters about her criminal history.
Jackie also spent time in the Cornhusker state as NBC Nebraska’s weekend anchor/producer and a weeknight multi-media journalist. As a so-called “one man
band,” Jackie shot, wrote, and edited her reports in addition to setting up her
own live shots. She covered stories impacting Central Nebraskans, from major
weather events to the city council beat. She has great memories as a field
producer and anchor at some of the area’s biggest community events, including
the Nebraska State Fair and the annual Kool-Aid Days in Hastings, the
birthplace of Kool-Aid.
Jackie’s broadcast career started in Tucson, Ariz. During her junior and
senior years at the University of Arizona (Bear Down!), she worked as a
full-time web producer for CBS affiliate KOLD, and reported nightly on-air
segments to promote the website and mobile app. The digital team won Edward R.
Murrow and APTRA awards for Best News Website.
It was during her time at U of A that she first had internships that spurred
her passion for broadcast news. She also managed the student-run TV station
(UATV) for two years and helped lead a successful campaign to secure funding
for the university’s newspaper, television, and radio stations.
Jackie lives in Seattle and in her free time loves checking out the state’s
great hiking, boating, and seafood spots. She is a Southern California native
and loves visiting when she can to go boating with family.