Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1325752
42 SAG-AFTRA | Winter 2021 | sagaftra.org Ringing in 2021 with KRON Husband & Wife Anchor Team J ustine Waldman anchors the 3 p.m. weekday news and weekend evening news at KRON 4 in San Francisco. She is also a mom with two young kids, 6-year-old Gavin and 4-year-old Jade. After working in local television news in Boston and Philadelphia, Waldman and her husband, Grant Lodes, both took jobs at KRON 4. Lodes anchors the 5 and 9 p.m. broadcasts on KRON 4. He's been at KRON for 10 years, working as a video journalist and breaking news anchor before his current role. He previously worked at stations in Charlottesville, Virginia; Fort Myers, Florida; and Philadelphia. How did you get started in the television news biz? Waldman: I knew I wanted to be a news reporter when I was 5 years old. My great grandfather and grandfather were both journalists. Being in newsrooms from a young age let me see the magic of storytelling in high-paced environments. Being curious is in my blood. I loved every minute of my time as a broadcast student at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse. I took my first local news job as an overnight producer and anchor in a small market and have since worked my way up and across the country. Lodes: I really didn't know what I wanted to do, but realized I could communicate decently. I got bored at a PR internship one summer in college and decided to hone in on broadcast journalism. An internship at CBS Sports in New York solidified my interest in wanting to tell compelling stories. I made a bad resume tape on VHS and sent it all over the place. Thanks to Dave Cupp in Charlottesville, I got a chance to prove myself. How has SAG-AFTRA affected your experience in broadcasting and how has being in the union shaped your career? Waldman: The support from the union ensures I cannot be taken advantage of and I do not feel alone. Our representatives demand we have the proper safety protection while reporting in dangerous situations. They also fight to preserve our very valuable time off. I love participating in Women in Broadcasting gatherings and even hosted the event when SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris visited the Bay Area. Lodes: Being a SAG-AFTRA member is like having a big brother in your corner. Hopefully, you don't need him to back you up, but if you do, he's there and that's reassuring. Attending contract bargaining sessions has given me a better understanding of labor relations and the importance of having professional negotiators working on our behalf. Being a union member was especially helpful when I was a young buck trying to figure out my way and what was fair and reasonable in this wild, ever-changing industry. You regularly anchor KRON 4 News together. What are the positives and challenges of working together at the same station? Waldman: Working together is not something I take for granted at all. On New Year's Live, a show we have co-hosted together for a few years now, we kiss at midnight to ring in the new year. If viewers do not know we are married, the emails start flying in! But once they learn we are married and have chosen to raise our family in the Bay Area, they seem to really like the unique dynamic. Lodes: When we first started at KRON 4, I basically wouldn't talk to Justine in the newsroom. We'd occasionally drive in together, then I'd speed walk ahead to create separation. I was paranoid the bosses would think we were always making dinner plans. These days, our work life is much more relaxed — but it's still slightly strange. That said, working with Justine is always surreal in the best possible way. I realize we're fortunate to be where we are and I always try to appreciate it. We were supposed to work together at the Giants' parade in 2014, but Gavin ended up being born that morning. Same situation two years later when Jade was born the morning of Election Day 2016. Our kids have no respect for big stories! What has been the highlight of your career? Waldman: Sharing a midnight kiss with Grant on New Year's Live! The show is the highest-rated broadcast KRON 4 produces. I am honored to host it and spend that time with viewers. It is also pretty cool to do it with my husband. So, it is both a professional and personal highlight. Lodes: Easy. Being with Justine and people in the Bay Area as we ring in the new year is the best. We've done it for three years now, and it's always a pinch-me kind of night. Plus, we kiss at midnight, which gives me a chance to improve on the wedding smooch. What advice do you have for future members entering the broadcast industry? Waldman: Always have snacks with you while reporting in the field. Lodes: Give it a shot! It's not for everyone, but if you are willing to work hard and be kind, respectful and tactfully assertive to everyone you encounter, you could be in for the ride of your life. Anchors Grant Lodes, left, and Justine Waldman of KRON 4 in San Francisco.