Shayla Reeves: Inspiring Journey of an Emmy Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Creative Storyteller

britzo August 16, 2026

0 9 6 minutes read

The name Shayla Reeves is often used by people looking for information about American journalist Shayla Reaves. Her professional name is Shayla Reaves, and she has developed a respected career across several television markets in the United States. She is known as an Emmy Award-winning journalist, television anchor, reporter, author and creative storyteller.

Her journey has included impressive achievements as well as demanding periods in the competitive broadcasting industry. Reaves progressed from journalism internships to major television assignments, eventually joining WCCO-TV/CBS Minnesota. Beyond television news, she has explored children’s literature and creative projects, showing that her abilities extend well beyond the newsroom.

Shayla Reeves Quick Bio

Category	Details
Full Name	Shayla Michelle Reaves
Professional Name	Shayla Reaves
Profession	Journalist, anchor, reporter and author
Birthplace	Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Raised In	Jackson, Tennessee
Nationality	American
Parents	Linda Reaves and Mike Reaves
Education	Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
Graduation Year	2006
Major Award	Emmy Award
Known For	Television journalism and creative storytelling
WCCO Joined	December 2020
Book	Echo in the Distance
Book Publication Year	2023
Marital Status	Married

Shayla Reeves Early Life

Shayla Michelle Reaves was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and moved to Jackson, Tennessee, when she was only a few months old. Jackson became an important part of her upbringing and helped shape the person and professional she would later become.

Reaves was raised by Linda Reaves and Mike Reaves and was their only child. She has also spoken about growing up as an adopted child. Her father worked overnight shifts at the Jackson post office and maintained a close relationship with his daughter. Family experiences later became meaningful influences on her writing and creative interests.

Shayla Reeves Education and Student Achievements

Northwestern University

Reaves attended Northwestern University, where she studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. She graduated in 2006 and distinguished herself through strong academic and broadcasting achievements.

She was named the top broadcast student in her graduating class and received the Gary Cummings Memorial Award. During university, she also held a leadership position in Northwestern’s student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. These experiences gave her valuable preparation for professional television journalism.

Start of Shayla Reaves’ Journalism Career

Early Television Experience

Before entering television journalism full-time, Reaves completed internships in Quincy, Illinois; Jackson, Tennessee; and Louisville, Kentucky. These opportunities gave her practical experience with broadcasting and newsroom responsibilities.

She began her professional television journey at WAVE 3 News in Louisville, Kentucky. Her early responsibilities covered different areas of newsroom production and reporting before she progressed further as an on-air journalist.

Career at WAVE 3 News

Reaves spent approximately four years working in Louisville. This stage allowed her to develop her reporting abilities and understand the demands of daily television journalism.

Her work in Louisville created a strong foundation for future opportunities. Although building a broadcasting career can be highly competitive and demanding, Reaves continued advancing into larger responsibilities and different American television markets.

Emmy-Winning Career in Columbus

Major Professional Achievement

Reaves later moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she continued working as a television reporter and also took on fill-in anchoring responsibilities. This chapter produced one of her most important professional achievements.

She received an Emmy Award for breaking-news coverage of a train derailment and explosion. The honour demonstrated her ability to cover fast-developing events and communicate important developments clearly to television audiences.

Shayla Reaves at FOX 13 Tampa

Reaves later joined WTVT FOX 13 in Tampa, Florida, where she worked as a field reporter for Good Day Tampa Bay. Her assignments included breaking news, hurricanes and overnight developments.

She also served as a fill-in anchor. Her work occasionally reached audiences outside the local Tampa market through national and network programming, adding another important stage to her growing broadcasting career.

WNCT-TV and Let’s Craft

Moving into Evening News

Reaves subsequently moved to Greenville, North Carolina, and worked at WNCT-TV. She co-anchored evening newscasts while continuing to develop her experience as a television journalist.

Her time there also allowed her creative interests to become part of her professional work. Rather than limiting herself entirely to conventional news coverage, she explored original programming and digital content.

Creating Let’s Craft

Reaves created Let’s Craft, a project focused on crafting and creativity. It enabled her to combine television production with one of her personal interests.

The project demonstrated another side of her communication abilities. Reaves could work with serious breaking news while also creating approachable content designed to entertain and inspire audiences.

Shayla Reeves at WCCO and CBS Minnesota

Joining WCCO-TV

In December 2020, Reaves joined WCCO-TV/CBS Minnesota as an anchor and reporter. Her responsibilities have included contributions to morning, mid-morning and noon television programming.

Joining WCCO represented another major step in a career already spanning several states and television markets. Her work has continued to combine daily news responsibilities with community-focused storytelling.

Shayla Reaves as an Author

Echo in the Distance

Reaves expanded her professional career into literature with Echo in the Distance, a children’s book published in 2023. The project grew from writing she had originally created during her years at Northwestern University.

The book connects with themes inspired by Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and explores ideas involving equality, responsibility, hope and positive change. It demonstrates how Reaves’ interest in storytelling extends beyond television journalism.

Shayla Reaves Husband and Personal Life

Reaves is married, and her professional CBS biography mentions that she enjoys spending time with her husband. She also enjoys crafting and exploring the Twin Cities.

Her personal interests connect closely with her creative professional work. Crafting has developed into more than a pastime, becoming part of the original content she has produced during her broadcasting career.

Shayla Reaves Sources of Income

Reaves’ established professional work centres on television journalism and authorship. Her long broadcasting career includes employment as both an anchor and reporter across multiple American television stations.

Her published work has added authorship to her professional achievements. Creative projects such as Let’s Craft further demonstrate the broad range of activities she has pursued alongside conventional television reporting.

Shayla Reeves Awards and Achievements

One of Reaves’ greatest career achievements is her Emmy Award for breaking-news reporting. She also earned significant recognition during her university education, including being named the top broadcast student in her graduating class.

Her journey from a journalism student to an experienced television professional demonstrates sustained career development. Working successfully across Louisville, Columbus, Tampa, Greenville and Minnesota has given her extensive experience in American local broadcasting.

Shayla Reaves Complete Career Overview

Reaves’ career began with television internships before she entered professional broadcasting at WAVE 3 News in Louisville. She later moved to Columbus, where her breaking-news reporting earned an Emmy Award.

She continued her career at FOX 13 in Tampa before moving to WNCT-TV in Greenville. In December 2020, she joined WCCO-TV/CBS Minnesota. Along the way, she expanded into creative television programming and eventually became a published children’s author.

Shayla Reaves Legacy and Impact

Reaves’ professional impact comes from her ability to combine journalism, community communication and creative storytelling. Her Emmy-winning reporting represents the traditional news side of her career, while Let’s Craft highlights her creative abilities.

Her publication of Echo in the Distance added another dimension to that journey. By moving from television journalism into children’s literature, Reaves has demonstrated how storytelling can be used across different platforms to inform, educate and inspire.

Conclusion

Shayla Reeves, professionally known as Shayla Reaves, has developed a varied career as a journalist, anchor, reporter and author. From her Tennessee upbringing and Northwestern education to Emmy-winning reporting and her position at WCCO-TV/CBS Minnesota, her professional journey reflects years of development in broadcasting.

Her career has not been limited to delivering television news. Projects such as Let’s Craft and Echo in the Distance show her ability to transform creativity into meaningful storytelling. Her combination of journalism, literature and creative communication has helped establish a distinctive professional identity.