- "I had the chance to work with Jenna for several years and can't say enough about her journalistic talent and work ethic. She understands how to develop the critical elements of any story that comes her way, which includes making sure to include the advice and ideas of colleagues. That's a strength more reporters could use. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'll work as hard as Jenna while maintaining a great attitude along the way. She was a pleasure to work with and hated to see her go."
- Paul Brown | YNN Austin - "Jenna's strong sense of journalistic responsibility is made clear by the types of stories she chooses to cover. She's as comfortable conveying the latest in a city hall meeting as she is reporting from the middle of a music festival. You can count on Jenna to continue her reporting online and join the conversation on Twitter. She is open to adapting to new technologies and incorporating them in her reports. She is also the kind of person to bring a smile to those in the newsroom with a cupcake."
- Anna Gonzalez | CNN - "Jenna Hiller digs deep to find stories that make a difference. Whether it's sifting through hundreds of pages of data or spending hours at City Hall, Jenna knows stories aren't born sitting at a desk."
- Veronica Castello | YNN Austin - Jenna's work reflects her passion for journalism. She takes a great deal of pride in her stories and it shows in her attention to detail. She makes every effort to ensure her work is up to her high standards and refuses to let anything less bear her name."
- Ed Keiner | YNN Austin
Jenna's work is focused on seeking the truth by digging beneath the surface of issues. Her true strengths are emphasized through enterprise stories: Jenna looks beyond the obvious for unique stories that impact the community
She spent the last four years at News 8 Austin where she gained the agility to cover multiple topics and transition easily between stories when breaking news calls. She covered the immediate community reaction to the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, a plane crash at an Austin IRS building in February 2010, and a presidential visit to Austin in August 2010. Jenna helped cover those stories both on-air and online using social media to keep viewers aware of new details.
At News 8, she also had the opportunity to hone her skills as a researcher and data analyst. Her training with Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) helped her gain the knowledge she needed to sift through thousands of records for a series of stories about the lack of inspections and oversight on dams in Texas. Versions of the story she produced ran state-wide and earned a National Excellence in Journalism award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Jenna grew up in South-Central Texas watching San Antonio news, which helps her understand the area and issues that matter to local residents. Jenna received a bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Missouri and began her career as a reporter at KOMU-TV, the NBC affiliate in Columbia,Mo., before returning to her native Texas.
Great Voice for the CommunityDependable Team PlayerNot Afraid to ask Tough QuestionsHigh Level of ProfessionalismExperience
*Covered local stories as a general assignment reporter and for city beat
*Developed sources at city hall and with community leaders
*Enterprise stories
*Live shots including multiple live shots for morning shows and during breaking news
*Shot and edited stories
*Produced exclusive content and daily stories for web
*Used social media including Twitter to report breaking news
AE/AP News 8 Austin | Austin, TX
*Produced investigative series reports
*Worked on special projects using CAR skills
*Made frequent freedom of information requests
*Weekend assignment planning and coordination
*Fielded story ideas from email sources and phone calls
Reporter KOMU-TV NBC | Columbia, MO
*Covered local stories as a general assignment reporter
*Anchored segments including First View on KOMU.com and National Report
*Live shots
*Quick turnaround stories
Morning Anchor/Producer KTEN-TV | Denison, TX
*Produced and anchored 90 minute morning show
*Responsible for writing all new stories and teases and rewriting stories from previous day
*Covered breaking news as a one-man-band reporter
*Covered the morning assignments desk
Reporter KOMU-TV NBC | Columbia, MO
*Covered local stories as a general assignment reporter
*Served on Target-8 investigative team
*Covered education for the School Report
*Anchored segments
*Live shots
*Quick turnaround stories
Related Skills
*Proficient with MS Office including Excel and Access for computer-assisted reporting
*Non-linear editing including AVID and Final Cut Pro
*Multi-platform reporting with blogging and Flickr slideshows
Education
*Bachelor of Journalism- broadcast emphasis 2005- University of Missouri
Activities
*Regional Vice President – Lone Star Emmys
*Completed NPPA Advanced Storyteller's workshop in 2010
*Member of Investigative Reporters and Editors
*Member of National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporters- completed CAR boot camp
References
*Paul Brown - Anchor, News 8 Austin
*Kevin Benz - Former News Director, News 8 Austin
*Michael Pearson - Acting News Director, News 8 Austin