About Laura Diaz

Laura Diaz is an award–winning television news anchor and reporter. She anchors the newscasts on Studio 11 LA at 5pm and reports on special news projects. Laura is thrilled to be reunited with so many dear friends, colleagues and former competitors after she joined FOX owned KTTV and KCOP in Los Angeles in May 2012.

Diaz is one of the most familiar and honored journalists in Southern California. For more than two decades, she has  anchored, reported and produced for several flagship Los Angeles stations. She is a 14-time Emmy Award Winner.

After brief reporting assignments in San Luis Obispo and Fresno fresh out of college, Laura returned home to Southern California to KABC. Her path took her from the Orange County Bureau where she began as a reporter to the highest-ranking position for an anchor at that station's headquarters in Hollywood.

laura diaz anchor

After an amazing winning streak at KABC, Diaz jumped  to KCBS as lead anchor with a special emphasis on specials and mini documentaries. At KCBS, Laura received the L.A.  Press Club's highest honor, the "Joseph M. Quinn Award" for journalistic excellence and distinction. She and her team also took home the prestigious national Imagen Award for Best Local Information Program. Her special series on undercover ATF Agent Billy Queen, who penetrated a notorious motorcycle gang, earned her back to back honors, with a Golden Mike and a local Emmy. In 2006, KCBS posted first place for the first time in more than thirty years with Diaz and fellow teammates anchoring the centerpiece broadcast.

Laura currently sits on the advisory board of "The Joyful Child Foundation", started by children's advocate Erin Runnion. She is also a member of the Pasadena Playhouse Diversity Committee.

Diaz was born in Santa Paula and raised in Santa Clarita. She graduated from William S. Hart High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

In her spare time, Laura enjoys running, weight training, rooting for the local sports teams the Dodgers, Lakers, and Angels!

Read more: http://www.lauradiaznews.com/

Top 5 Qualities of a Great Reporter

While blogging might not be considered a form of journalism, I certainly think it should be. We evaluate important, relevant materials and send it out to inform the world just like news reporters do. The question, then, is how do we get other’s to take us seriously, not only as writers, but as news reporters too? In my quest for the answer, I began researching journalists around the nation and found that several qualities made them stand out, giving them the respect and recognition they deserve. As I began my search, I started with the obvious choices: Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Vargas, etc. and all of the big names had something in common… at one point in time, they started with nothing and worked their way to the top. Not entirely satisfied with what I found, I began to search award winning female news anchors in the most populated cities (New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and Detroit) and five remarkable women popped up: Pat Harper of WNBS, Laura Diaz of Fox11, Clarice Tinsley of FDFW, Jennifer Valoppi of WTVJ, and Robbie Timmons of WXYZ. These women, all recognized as outstanding journalists, had five things in common that set them apart from the rest.

1. Self-Starter

None of these women approached their careers looking for handouts. They knew that if they wanted something, they were going to have to work for it. And boy did they ever! Not only do they have successful careers as news anchors, but they have set up foundations, act as producers, and create programs to benefit the people in their communities.

2. College and Education

Each of these women went to a college known for their journalism programs and participated in additional programs to help get them the credentials they needed to make an impression.

3. Dedication to the Network

When you look at their credentials, each news anchor has been with their station for a notable period of time. Beyond that, they each have invested in improving the network and bringing something different to it to make it stand out. They are well loved by their fans and make a point to connect with them in a way that other anchors fail to.

4. Philanthropic Work

While these women are hard at fine tuning their craft, they also make time to invest in valuable causes around the world and within their community. While these causes are things they all strongly believed in

5. Perseverance in the Face of a Challenge

Whether they faced adversity, discrimination, economic downturn, or just plain rejection, these women were not deterred. If we can learn anything from them (journalism or not), it is to never give up on your dream.

If you look at the bio of each of these amazing women you will find not only a remarkable story of triumph and success, but countless awards honoring them for their outstanding work in the field. These women are some of those who paved the way for female reporters and setting standards for news anchors across the country. It just goes to show that a little hard work and ingenuity can go a long way.

Laura Diaz: A Phoenix on The Rise

Leading the way in evening and weekend broadcasting, Laura Diaz of Fox 11 is a veteran anchor with a rising star status.  In 1985, Diaz got her start in Orange Country working as a reporter. Her talent and passion for her city quickly emanated beyond the local station. Three short years later, she began working as a weekend reporter for KABC TV – the company, in 1997, that would hire her as the first female Latino lead anchor in Los Angeles.

Five years later, Diaz accepted a position as co-anchor at KCBS TV during the evening news broadcast. In her first 17 years as an anchor, Diaz proved her dedication to her journalism by weathering earthquakes, broadcasting through riots, and even being held at gunpoint. She has traveled around the country to bring the latest news updates – even reporting from Ground Zero – and bringing breaking news to the masses at a moment’s notice.

While at KCBS, Diaz was a part of the team that was responsible for the first place victor of sweeps in May 2006 – the first victory the station had since the 60s. Diaz had the Midas touch: every station she worked for began to flourish and thrive upon her arrival. In addition to charisma and passion, Laura Diaz also brought along a large, devoted fan base. Diaz joined CBS2 News in 2010 and became the sole anchor in the 6 o’clock and the 11 o’clock weekday slot. At the same time, she both produced and hosted “Eye on Our Community” for the station.  In May of 2012 she joined the Fox 11 News team and launched her career to new heights, reuniting with several of her friends and previous colleagues.

Laura Diaz

This fourteen time Emmy Award Winner sees no limits to her passion for bringing exceptional reports and breaking stories to the people of Los Angeles. One of her greatest accomplishments outside of the newsroom is her television series Vista LA on which she was the first host. The show took on the task of presenting public affairs to Latinos in Los Angeles – it was the first show of its kind. Because of her groundbreaking work at Vista, Diaz was able to land two Imagen Awards and three of her fourteen Emmys. Diaz also produced and hosted a program for “Eye on Our Community” that aired on the tenth anniversary of the September 11^th Terrorist Attacks. In recognition of her outstanding work with this series, Diaz was awarded her third Imagen Award for “Best Informational Program.”

Laura Diaz is a phoenix: her passion for her city and sheer charisma over the television screen burn more brightly than ever as she continues on her journey. In addition to being a news anchor, Diaz also has devoted much of her time to live reporting and even producing several programs in the area. Her initiative to bring the news to the masses is a breath of fresh air in this business, and a welcome sight at Fox 11. Diaz is on fire as a journalist; her career is just heating up.