Lane Michaelsen, who until recently was vice president of news at Miami’s WTVJ, has been named news director at WCPO in Cincinnati.
Michaelsen replaces longtime WCPO news director Bob Morford, who announced his plans to leave the station at the beginning of the year.
“Lane is exactly the news director this market needs right now, and we’re very pleased to have his talent and experience in our newsroom,” WCPO vice president and general manager Steve Thaxton said, announcing the hiring. “His deep understanding of journalism and the tenets of serving communities will make a major impact on our team and the Tri-State.”
Michaelsen has a long and varied background in TV news. Prior to joining WTVJ in 2009, Michaelsen spent 20 years with Gannett Broadcasting, where he worked as a director of photography at KARE before moving on to news director jobs at KTHV in Little Rock, WTSP in Tampa, and WUSA in D.C.
In 1996 and ’97, Michaelsen served as a professional in residence at the Poynter Institute.
Announcing the news on Twitter, WCPO investigative reporter Hagit Limor, who has served as president of the Society of Professional Journalists, called Michaelsen an “incredible photographer/storyteller at his roots.”