How KCCI's Jodi Long starts her day
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Courtesy of KCCI
When Jodi Long departed WHO-13 last September, the veteran anchor felt like she was leaving TV news "prematurely," she tells Axios.
- After giving birth to her youngest daughter in 2022, Long was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia — a serious condition resulting in high blood pressure.
- As the mother of two young kids, leaving TV news was the right thing to do for her health and family at the time, she says.
Driving the news: Long is now back on the air at KCCI, anchoring at noon and 5pm after working in the nonprofit sector and advocating for healthier birth outcomes.
- As an Ankeny High School graduate and lifelong metro resident, returning to TV news kept "calling her," she says, especially the drive to help her community.
Here's how Long starts her day:
⏰ Wake up: Between 5:30-6am — a much more normal schedule than her previous 1:45am wake-up times.
🍳 Breakfast: Anything leftover on her kids' plates.
- That can range from "half a French toast stick" to a handful of Goldfish.
📚 What she's reading: Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter.
- On the way to work, she listens to national news.
💡 How Long stays organized: Sticky notes and a fridge calendar, but mostly, "it lives all up in my brain."
Advice to young Black journalists interested in leadership: Keep your circle small, Long says.
- "Have people who build you up and instill confidence in you, who pray for you, who cheer you on when things are going well and to also pick you up when things aren't going the way you want."