Alumni Profile: Raynel Knight
By Sarah Pride
Raynel Knight describes herself as a “political junkie.” Blond and stylish, flashing a big smile, she could easily be a Hill staffer—or, perhaps, a producer for one of Washington, D.C.’s prime time political newscasts. It is, in fact, in this latter role that Raynel has found her true niche.
Every weekday, Knight produces a half-hour news show, “Federal News Today,” for NewsChannel 8, Washington, D.C.’s all-news cable station. She has been preparing for this position since before college, and she has been working there since October 2006, even before she officially graduated in May 2007 from Patrick Henry College. Her husband, Jonathan Knight, is also a 2007 PHC alum.
“It’s been a wonderful job!” she exclaims.
As a student, Knight worked a semester-long internship at Fox 5 in DC, where her years-long passion for broadcast journalism was confirmed. Since then, her path has included wedding bells and several months in a transitional job as a personal assistant. In 2006, she applied for a job at NewsChannel 8, where, after proving herself, she took over producing “Federal News Today.” The nightly newscast specializes in coverage from inside Washington and features in-depth interviews with experts on key sectors related to the Federal Government.
Raynel describes a day at her current job: “I spend the morning finding stories for my program and booking guests to talk about topics I think would be interesting and relevant for my viewers. These include top federal officials, lawmakers, journalists, pundits, think-tank scholars, and grassroots activists.”
Federal News Today airs weeknights 7:30-8:00pm on NewsChannel 8. In the hours before going live on-air, Raynel not only has to find guests but write 15-20 short stories for the day’s news, locate video, assemble graphics, and then “work in the control room” to put the show on the air. It is a creative, deadline-driven, adrenalin-charged job.
“My time at PHC was helpful in preparing me for this job,” says Knight, “because it instills the importance of finding good internships and working hard once you’re in one. In journalism, getting the first job is often the hardest step, and my internship at Fox 5 opened that door.”
Knight looks forward to spending the remainder of the 2008 election year working in political journalism. Beyond that, her vision for both her career and personal life is wide open.
“In the long term, of course,” she shares, “I look forward to my husband, Jon, beginning law school, and eventually to leaving my work to begin a family.”
Note to alumni: If you would like to share your story with the Patrick Henry College community, email David Halbrook or Sarah Pride, and we will arrange an interview by phone or email.
