SPOKANE, Wash. — National Murrow Award-winning anchor/reporter Jane McCarthy has left KREM 2 News to join her family in Seattle.
Jane's last day was Oct. 15.
Jane joined KREM as the station’s main anchor in January 2010. She was the station’s main weekday anchor for KREM 2 News First at 4:00 p.m. and KREM 2 News at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
“For the last decade it’s been my privilege to tell the stories of this amazing community,” Jane said. “The people I have met here trusted me to tell their powerful stories and I want to say thank you! I hope my stories have honored them. I love this community and adore my outstanding co-workers at KREM. The only thing that could tear me apart from KREM and this community is the need to be with my family in Seattle.”
Jane and her husband have traded off commuting back and forth from Seattle to Spokane on weekends over the last year after he accepted a job with Seattle Public Schools. Jane has accepted a position as a communication and branding specialist with Boeing Defense.
Jane’s work as an anchor and reporter at KREM led her to win a National Murrow Award, four regional Murrow Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Jane’s work also stood out for her Project Inspire series of stories where she focused on inspirational local heroes like Steve Gleason, John Oakley, Emma Schanz, Sam Dowd, Ella McKeirnan and Jacob Nordhagen. The story of how Schanz trained in a hotel pool in Colville to become an elite national swimming recruit earned Jane the prestigious National Murrow Award in 2015.
Project Inspire was originally created by Jane to honor the example set by Spokane native Steve Gleason who went from NFL star to ALS patient. Gleason’s refusal to fade away with an incurable disease led to his Team Gleason non-profit to help ALS patients. Jane has reported more stories on Gleason since 2012 than any other broadcast journalist.
“Sharing Steve’s courage and ‘No White Flags’ approach to life has been one of the greatest honors of my journalism career,” said Jane. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be inspired by Steve and his incredible family.”
Jane also shined in the kitchen throughout her KREM career, being known as the station’s resident foodie of all things healthy and great to eat. She won the station’s annual Guac-Off competition twice for her fantastic citrus-laden guacamole. She also recently won the station’s first ever Dip-Off competition, placing first with her Spicy Molten Blue Cheese Dip.
Jane was raised in Lakewood, Wash. and graduated from the University of Washington. Her broadcast journalism career took her to Coos Bay, Reno, Sacramento and Seattle before arriving in Spokane.
KREM celebrated Jane’s amazing storytelling with a one-hour Project Inspire special at 7 p.m. on October 15th, showcasing her favorite Project Inspire stories over the last ten years and letting viewers know what the inspirational heroes are doing now.
“KREM has always supported me telling stories of the inspirational people in this community and I want to say thank you to the station and our viewers by sharing their inspiration one more time,” said Jane.
