Lauren Adams, 24, made her Paducah debut on December 3, 2007. She's a reporter for WPSD-TV, and no doubt about it, she has found her niche! This broadcast journalism major graduated magna cum laude from oh la la Syracuse University. Smart, beautiful, energetic – Lauren Adams is off to a stellar start toward broadcast television stardom!Lauren Adams, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! You should be on television! And you are!
Yes, I get up at 4:45 each morning to get to WPSD-TV by 6. If I had any other job I'd give myself 20 minutes to get ready.
How did you get interested in being a newscaster?
When I was growing up, I was never interested in movie stars – I was more interested in the women doing the news. I loved their great outfits, their hair, and I thought they just had it all together. And I've always loved to go out and meet new people, so the opportunity to do that and do something different every day made this career so appealing. And minus the days when it's raining and snowing, I truly love it!
Who's your favorite anchor?
My aunt, Sandra Mitchell. She's an anchor for CBS in Los Angeles. She is a great role model. This is such a difficult, competitive field, and seeing her do and achieve what I've always wanted makes this goal seem so much more attainable.
Also, I grew up watching the Philadelphia News and I always liked Larry Mendte. He's from the Philadelphia area and is now an anchor at CBS. He just seems so genuine when he's on the desk. There's a big difference between reading the news (which is harder than you think...someone else is rolling the teleprompter!) and telling and sharing the news. Larry is one of those journalists that comes into your living room and seems to share what he knows.
So you're from Pennsylvania?
I'm from Reading, Pa., like the Reading Railroad on your Monopoly board. So hopefully, I'll be something else my city claims someday!
Rock on, Lauren Adams! And you aced your classes at Syracuse, Mz. Magna Cum Laude!I graduated in three and a half years so that I could get my career started! I was in my first newsroom just a week after graduation.
Lauren, you are on your way! How did you get to Paducah?
I started at a small station in Georgia, and my boss said, "You're too good for this place." So I sent out a couple of tapes to stations I was interested in. WPSD-TV covers four states, so this is a great opportunity.
So you're up at 4:45 a.m., and at the station by 6 a.m.?
Yes, I have to do my hair and make-up and then I'll spend 10 minutes looking for the perfect outfit...depending on the weather, the story and just how I'm feeling. I spend so much on dry cleaning, make-up and panty hose! When you're out climbing over rocks in a suit and heels to cover a story about loose boats on the river, you go through a few pairs of stockings each week!
How do you get all your stories together?
I do all my legwork the day before my stories air. For example, I just did one about how women at one of the local assisted living centers are staying physically and mentally fit by using a Wii. So I shot the story on a Wednesday and it aired on a Thursday.
Your stories usually air around 6:45 a.m., right?
Yes, on the News Channel 6 Today show. And sometimes I'm on-air again at mid-day and at 5 p.m. I also anchor the Saturday morning show a couple times a month.
So you love it?
I totally love it. I have a huge respect for my team here at Channel 6, Scott McGee in particular. Each day, I'll go to him to look over my scripts. There are days when he reads them in a minute and says "Good, really, good," and other days when he says, "What is this story really about?"
I've had to re-write entire scripts before...and that's good. I sit across from Scott in the newsroom (he's cuter in person!), and having him so close, literally, has been great.
What's been your favorite story?I did a story about the flooding at St. Francis Animal Care in Johnson County, Ill., a few weeks ago. About 90 animals were trapped there – I could see the dogs on the tops of their kennels. Miraculously, all the dogs survived. When we aired the piece, adoptions picked up. So I was excited that I could make a difference.
The other one was right before Christmas, a family in Marion lost everything in a house fire. It burned completely to the ground. A woman saw my story that day and called to say she had an extra house that the family could stay in, rent free, for as long as they needed it. So the family spent Christmas in a house instead of a shelter. Stories like that are what get me out of bed so early!
Lauren, you are gor-geous! Do people recognize you everywhere?
It always happens at the most inopportune times and when I don't look my best! I was at the grocery store the other day, and I'd just finished a run. I was in sweats, and my hair was in a ponytail. And some guy came up and said, "You're Lauren Adams! Let's see what you celebrities have in your shopping carts." And of course that's the day I'm buying frozen pizza and Doritos.
Hah! Lauren, you remind me a little bit of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
I've gotten that comment more times than I care to count. I don't think it's necessarily me but maybe my three-pound Chihuahua that I take everywhere, Peanut Adams. We call her Nut Nut. She sleeps in my bed, samples my cooking and gets dressed up...she's even been known to spend some time in the newsroom!
So instead of Legally Blonde, you're Reporterly Blonde!
Or maybe Allegedly Blonde. Every time I go to my stylist I get blonder and blonder...so I'm not even sure at this point what my real color is.
I hear ya, sister! What do you do when you're not tracking down the hot scoop?
Of course spending time with Nut Nut. I love to travel, and I love to cook.
What are your best dishes?
Chicken Parmesan – it's my mom's recipe actually! But truth be told, I love to spend hours in the kitchen experimenting, and I actually don't own a cookbook! I do follow directions on baked goods though, because a lot of times those are going to co-workers and friends.
Just like Elle Woods! Speaking of which, I loved seeing you at Max's the other night with your equally lovely and fun gal pals!I have some really good girlfriends here, and they're very accommodating to me. They'll meet me at 5 p.m. for dinner so that I can be home in bed by 7 p.m.
I also host a lot of dinner parties and game nights. I love to throw big wine and cheese parties.
Right on! Lauren, tell us about your love life! You must get asked out all the time.
With my job it's really hard to find time to even eat sometimes, so having a relationship is something I wish I had, but I don't. I'm only 24. I have a great career and a wonderful group of friends. And actually, this is the first time in seven years that I've been single. And who's going have dinner with you at 5 p.m.?
Ah, Lauren, I'm going to go out on a limb – they'd all have dinner with you at 5 p.m.! What kind of a fella are you looking for?
I like a gentleman. My parents are very, very traditional. I demand a lot. I will stand there until you pull my chair out or open my door. I love romance, flowers – I want a guy who's going to take care of me. I don't know if that dream guy exists – because usually those are the guys who want a traditional wife who wears an apron and stays home all day. I'll wear the apron, but I'm not staying home all day. I'm doing what I love, the news!
Well Lauren Adams, you are just darling. If you're looking for manners, you're in the right place. Southern men know all about the doors, chairs, flowers and romance! Maybe you should do a story about that!
Don't worry, I've got a couple leads!
