One-On-One With Melissa Brunner
Melissa grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and earned her degree in broadcast communication from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Melissa’s first job in the business was for a radio station in her hometown doing fishing reports. For three summers, she got up at 4 a.m. to talk about how the fish were biting in Lake Michigan. Just before graduation, Melissa landed a job at WFRV-TV in Green Bay as a producer.
A chance to be in front of the camera as a reporter brought her to Topeka and WIBW-TV in May 1996. Melissa has earned numerous awards from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, Kansas Associated Press, American Cancer Society and RTNDA, and the news team has earned smaller market Best Newscast honors from the Heartland Regional Emmys twice.
Melissa is involved with several area organizations and events, including the Children’s Tumor Foundation, American Cancer Society, Capper Foundation, American Heart Association, the Race Against Breast Cancer and Valeo.
Melissa is married to WIBW-TV Chief Photographer Doug Brown They live in Topeka with their cats.
Q. You could be anywhere, why Topeka?
Why not Topeka? I love this community and this area. I’ve embraced it and am fortunate it’s embraced me as well.
Professionally, it’s allowed me to grow, and I continue to feel challenged and supported. Topeka is a great area for news! We are the state capital; we are surrounded by excellent small and large universities; we’ve had groundbreaking roles in history; Fort Riley and Kansas National Guard are both in our backyard; and we constantly have great people doing great things. I’m also blessed to be at a community-minded station which supports many organizations and causes. I’m in a place where I truly feel I’m making a difference.
Personally, I’ve also grown. Topeka is a good fit for me. It’s a city that’s just big enough. The people are friendly. We have music and art and sports. It’s easy to escape to the countryside. Perhaps most important: I met my husband here! Doug Brown is our chief photojournalist. He grew up just outside Topeka, near Grantville. We spend a lot of time on his dad’s farm, which is where I hang out with all the baby calves you see me post on social media!
Q. Who paved the way for you?
Certainly, at the national level, women like Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Connie Chung and Jane Pauley paved the way for women in television news to be taken seriously. They fought to have women viewed as being able to handle more than just the lifestyle segments. They challenged the assumption that the men should automatically get the political assignments or the interviews with world leaders.
I arrived in Topeka at a time when Mary Loftus, Sally Baltes, Betty Lou Pardue, Lori Hutchinson and Amy Lietz were the established women anchors at the local stations. All of them were respected leaders in the community. Because they—and the women who came before them—set the tone. The stage was set for all us women who followed to be seen in the same light.
Q. Who have you paved the way for?
This is a tough question to answer. I strive to continue the progress made by women in our industry. I want young female journalists who follow me to see it is okay to stand up for yourself. It is okay to express your ideas, and fight for the projects and assignments about which you feel strongly. I want them to not simply accept what’s handed to them, but to go after what they truly want. I can’t say I’ve never felt pushed down, but I can say I’ve always gotten back up.
Q. What is your proudest moment? Lowest?
I don’t want to be a total downer on this one, but I can’t answer questions about my life without mentioning the night I thought my life would end. My last semester of college, I was abducted at gunpoint by strangers, who stole my car, took me with them, forced me to get cash out of ATMs, then put me in the trunk while they drove around, eventually dumping the car - and me - in an alley. I was pistol whipped; I was groped; at one point, a gun was cocked at the back of my head. After they abandoned the car, I eventually kicked out the back seat to get away, and a passing school bus driver picked me up.
It’s not just the incident itself that makes this a low point, but the fear that followed. It wasn’t an abstract fear of the unknown or anxiety over a decision, but a true, physical, am-I-safe fear. I would step out a door and turn back around, heart racing, because I wasn’t sure the people walking down the sidewalk didn’t mean harm; a noise in the middle of the night would get me out of bed to look out the window, just to be sure no one was there. The fears would ebb and flow. Gradually, the fears faded to the background. I have a healthy personal safety awareness now that wasn’t there before, which is a good thing. Although, I admit I still have my anxious moments.
I chose to speak publicly about the experience. As a college student, I wanted to raise awareness of campus safety. Now, I continue to speak about it because it’s important to know things like this happen to real people in our communities. We all need to be personally aware, and we all need to do our part to take a stand against crime because you just don’t know when the next victim could be you or someone you love.
I spent a lot of time questioning why I am still here when others do not survive. God had a reason He kept me here. I have a responsibility to use my voice and share my story to make a difference. I want others who’ve been through a traumatic experience to know they can come out on the other side. What happened will always be a part of them, but it does not have to define them. Life is a gift and you are here to use it.
It is a journey from victim to survivor. In that respect, my lowest moment became my proudest: I’m a survivor.
Q. Is there a guiding principle or mantra you use?
Be respectful and be kind. You are not always going to agree with everyone and you may not always like everyone, but you don’t have to be cruel.
I use this approach when I’m interviewing people. I believe you can ask tough questions without being unnecessarily leading or confrontational. Plus, you usually get a better answer that way!
Empathy also comes into play. We often encounter people on the worst day of their lives. My personal experience has taught me there is a right way and a wrong way to ask a question. You have to be sensitive to the situation and think about your words. Be respectful. We see the best and the worst in our jobs. It is easy to become jaded. I feel like if I ever lose my empathy, it’s time to step away.
Off-the-air, Melissa Brunner and her husband Doug Brown, spend time living the farm life.
Q. Who do you admire?
I admire anyone who has the courage to take a risk. It could be personally or professionally. It could be moving to a new city, changing jobs, launching a new business, singing in front of a crowd, or running for public office. It could be saying no when everyone else is saying yes; raising a question when it seems you’re the only voice of dissent. It is scary to be out on that limb, so I admire those who don’t hesitate to take those steps.
Q. How do you overcome adversity?
Well, first there’s the minor freak-out! Then I calm down, take a deep breath, and tell myself I can do this. I think through the options, analyze different perspectives, and move forward. You have to keep moving, even if it’s not the direction you initially planned.
Q. What advice would you give your younger self?
You are stronger than you think.
Q. What story most impacted you and how?
I can’t pick just one!
The story that had the most personal impact on me was about Morgan Kottman. She was 15 years old and battling a rare brain cancer. We had no way of knowing when we interviewed her that we’d be capturing her last day at school and some of her final messages to her family. She passed away two weeks after the story aired, but she left with me a lesson on the importance of living and loving, and I am forever grateful for her wisdom.
The most meaningful project I undertook was an in-depth special for the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board decision. I got to interview the two plaintiffs who were still alive at the time and meet some of the children who were involved. I learned so much about the totality of the case and Topeka’s pivotal role way beyond what is taught in school. What struck me was this group of ordinary, average people. They didn’t do this to get rich. They did it because it was the right thing to do. They proved one person really can change the world.
The most amazing experience was traveling with the 190th Air Refueling Wing on a deployment to Guam. It was an honor to share the story of what they do, and also to learn why Guam is important to our overall security as a nation.
TK
