Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Yuccas

Jamie Yuccas, BA, 2003
News Correspondent
CBS News

What led you to this profession? Tell us about what action steps you took early on to achieve your goals.

When Jamie entered the University of Minnesota, she knew she wanted to work for the Minnesota Daily.  She applied to be a staff writer her freshman year and got the job. Then, during her first year in the School of Journalism, two of her instructors encouraged her to get an internship at one of the local television stations, and she was hired at WCCO.  

What is your advice for current CLA students interested in a journalism career?

She touted the benefits of starting out in a smaller market, where there’s more room to make mistakes and a better chance to get to know yourself as a professional. She encouraged students to learn how to do everything in a newsroom. “Don’t ever say you want to be an anchor,” she said. “You need all the other skills in order to anchor anyway. The anchor is the quarterback of the team. You have to know and see the whole field and know everybody’s job to be successful.”

What kinds of obstacles have you encountered in pursuing your goals?

Yuccas was honest about the life of a correspondent, too. She’s covered hurricanes, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the California fires and more. It can all take its toll. “All the travel and getting up in the middle of the night for live shots, or being launched to breaking news at a moment’s notice can make planning your own life pretty tough,” she said. “You just have to remember that what you do matters.”