Christine Stanwood, who left ABC 15 in Phoenix in March of 2025, is back on Valley TV news, albeit at a different station.
Stanwood, who started on Thursday, Oct. 1, is now the consumer investigative reporter at Arizona's Family stations.
"I'm pumped," Stanwood told The Arizona Republic Sunday. "I'm really, really pumped."
Stanwood was an anchor and reporter at ABC 15. She left to go to Tulsa station KJRH as the main morning anchor. In August, E.W. Scripps, the station's parent company, announced massive layoffs across the country, including in Tulsa. Stanwood's position was among those eliminated.
"I never thought it would happen to me," Stanwood said.
'This is the dream'
It did, but Stanwood said her new job at Arizona's Family is a silver lining.
"This is the dream,
and I'm working at the dream station, legitimately," she said. "This is where we want to be."
Arizona’s Family comprises Channels 3 and 5, both owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television.
Having worked as an anchor, often considered the dream job for TV journalists, Stanwood said she doesn't see her new job as a lesser role at the station.
"I really think going from main morning anchor to consumer investigative reporter is a really lateral decision," she said. "I also think it's just another skill to add to my decade of experience in journalism. It's also a trusted leadership role. What excites me about this position specifically is it's a tangible way to serve our community and get real results for them too."
The role of journalists is changing in all newsrooms
The role of journalists in all newsrooms is changing, something that excites Standwood, she said.
"Bottom line, I love news," she said. "And I think it would be a disservice to think that news is only going to be in one format for the next five years, the next five months. How you get news is changing by the minute. And I think when you see someone that you trust on your feed or on your screen, it may not always be the anchor. It could be your consumer investigative reporter. It could be a photojournalist. It could be a segment producer. I think the way we are seeing 'talent' is changing."
For Stanwood, she said, it's all part of a bigger picture. "It's my belief that there's always gonna be a need for connection," she said. "There's always a need for truth, for accuracy, for accountability."
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Subscribe to the weekly WatchList newsletter. Listen to Valley 101.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Arizona TV anchor returns to Phoenix in new role 'I'm pumped'
