HELLO!

My name is Emily Chavez and I'm journalist currently reporting in Cedar Rapids for KGAN CBS2/FOX28. I've spent the last year and a half telling the stories of Eastern Iowans. 

Within the last year, I've interviewed political candidates, frontline workers, social justice advocates and victims of what's best described as an 'inland hurricane' in Iowa. While this was not the introduction into the 'real world' I was expecting, it shaped me into the journalist I am today.

My role at KGAN requires me to pitch, shoot, write and edit all my stories to go live for the 5 and 6 p.m. shows. When COVID-19 forced the majority of Americans to work from home, journalists had to get creative. Zoom became the norm and in-person interviews became a risk. I was still able to tell compelling stories of those who were impacted most by the virus.

The coronavirus exposed the inequalities and health disparities within our country. In Iowa, Latinos remain a target for the virus due to service jobs that require them to work in close quarters through the pandemic and high infection rates. As a bilingual reporter, I was able to tell those stories and share the information about the vaccine in Spanish for our Spanish-speaking viewers. 

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Prior to my time in Iowa, I spent my summers gaining professional experience through internships at WHEC-TV 10 NBC in Rochester and Spectrum News Buffalo. At WHEC, I was able to cover a prominent murder trial and create content for the live five and six o’clock shows when they reached a verdict. At Spectrum News Buffalo, I rotated among the different positions in the newsroom. One day I covered Jim Kelly Football Camp and the next, I was working on a story about sexual abuse within the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. I’ve also freelanced with NBC News covering the 2019 Women’s March as a digital correspondent. 

Along with being a journalist, I'm a cat mom, a coffee lover, and explorer. Want to talk some more? Let's get in touch! emilymchavez@yahoo.com