By Marissa Campo and Carol Gillis, AWC Detroit Marketing Committee

 Too often we commend and recognize those in front of the screen for their hard work, while forgetting to shine a spotlight on those making magic happen behind the scenes. Whether it’s the director, film producer, special effects team, audio engineer, or make-up and wardrobe supervisor, the roles off-screen are just as important to the process as those we see in the final product.

Kimberly Voet is one of the strategic thinkers, brand ambassadors and news leaders tasked with keeping the gears turning effectively so that metro Detroiters can stay up-to-date on trending news and stories.

 Building a successful career

 Voet earned her degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and has been in newsrooms from St. Louis to North Carolina to Detroit since then. Although she isn’t a native Detroiter, Voet has truly embraced the city, its people and the issues that matter most to them.

Combined with her dedication to the organization and its goals, it’s easy to see why she has built an impressive career here at WDIV-TV. Voet has held numerous positions with the news organization, including news producer, executive producer, special projects executive producer, senior executive producer and assistant news director. In 2011, she was promoted to her current role as news director for the Local 4 News and has been successfully leading the team ever since.

In fact, the Local 4 team and Voet herself, have been the recipients of countless awards and recognitions for excellence in broadcast media.

Her passion doesn’t stop once she steps outside of the station, though. Voet is a board member of the Nightly News Task Force with NBC Nightly News/Local Affiliate, the NBC News Directors Advisory and the Michigan Press Association. Additionally, she is a member of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and Women of Tomorrow Mentoring.

New challenges in media

Trends and consumer habits seem to be shifting every few weeks, and the journalism industry has not been spared. These changes, and the global pandemic that expedited them, came with new sets of challenges for journalists and news stations.

“The speed of information and threats to journalistic integrity are probably the biggest challenges. Viewers and users want information right now, not at a specific newscast time. The need is immediate,” said Voet. “The internet has changed how we do our jobs, and the manner in which we do our jobs as journalists. Speed, immediacy and instant gratification are crucial. Balance that with the principles of fair and accurate reporting and it’s a challenge for sure.”

As the woman responsible for managing the broadcast and digital newsrooms at WDIV-TV Detroit, Voet has watched these challenges grow and seen first-hand the impact they have on the station’s talent — the good and the bad. She and her colleagues even discussed these issues in a recent TVNewsCheck article on finding creative ways to reach viewers feeling unsure about the pandemic crisis.

“I truly believe what has happened in the last 18 months makes our jobs as journalists more important than ever. I commonly refer to us as the “First-Informers” because the need for facts and information is vital to our very survival,” she explained. “We also face the real threat of false news being spread each and every day. As a reputable and reliable news organization, we need to combat those with a specific agenda and inform our public of the truth.”

Inspiring the next generation

Representation is another challenge in the industry, although not an uncommon one in other fields of work. While the gender gap has been steadily closing in the broadcast media world in recent years, the percentage of women in news director roles has been a challenging stat to crack. Voet shared a few pieces of advice for young women interested in following a similar career path:

  1. Familiarize yourself with everything in the newsroom. The more you know and understand, the better you can be at your job.
  2. Never stop asking questions, seeking experienced mentors in the industry and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
  3. Understand how different responsibilities work together in a successful product. It’s no different than a team sport where everyone needs to play their position to succeed. The more you know about and understand why each position is critical to the success of the team, the better situated you are to lead.
  4. Create relationships within a station – in the newsroom and around other parts of the building. Your success isn’t measured individually but rather as a group. Learn to celebrate the wins and successes together and you can go a long way.

Voet also expressed the importance of asking questions, seeking experienced mentors in the industry and stepping out of your comfort zone. There are always opportunities to learn more about your field or how to better yourself and your talents.

Congratulations to Kim on her Media Room Spotlight recognition!