Diederich College of Communication Award Recipients
James T. Tiedge Memorial
Award
MELISSA BRUNNER BROWN, COMM '94
Topeka, Kan.
As news anchor for WIBW-TV 鈥� the CBS affiliate in Topeka, Kan. 鈥� Melissa Brunner Brown works a lot of hours, most of which have little to do with the hours that fall between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. At least to the eyes of the public.
That鈥檚 because Melissa anchors the 鈥淟ive at 5鈥� newscast and co-anchors the 13 News at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Her professors prepared her for the rigor.
鈥淢y Marquette broadcasting professors taught me: 鈥榊ou will work weekends. You will work nights. You will work holidays. And you will like it!鈥� They were right.鈥�
That lesson fresh on her mind, Melissa graduated and went to work as a producer for WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wis. Soon after, she moved to Topeka and WIBW-TV, where she hosted the weekly 鈥淭o your health鈥� feature and covered crime, the legislature and many other topics.
Despite the crazy hours of her not-so-9-to-5 job, Melissa still finds time to be actively involved in several area organizations and events: the YWCA of Topeka鈥檚 Week Without Violence, American Cancer Society, Topeka Organ Transplant Organization鈥檚 Run for Life and Race Against Breast Cancer.
She also puts her public persona 鈥� and notable microphone voice 鈥� to good use as local co-emcee for the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
In 2010, Melissa served as a campaign ambassador for the United Way of Greater Topeka and also was among the inaugural class of greater Topeka鈥檚 鈥�20 under 40,鈥� which honors community leaders under 40 for their positive influence through community service. But that鈥檚 not the only award she has to her name. Melissa also received a YWCA Vision of Peace Award and the Capper Foundation鈥檚 Media Award. And her reporting has earned her numerous awards, too: from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, Kansas City Press Club and Kansas Associated Press.
Fun fact:
For Thanksgiving 2010, Melissa and her husband, WIBW chief photographer Doug Brown, produced a half-hour special called 鈥淐hildren of Hope,鈥� which focused on homeless children and families staying at the Topeka Rescue Mission. 鈥淢eeting the children at the Topeka mission, I was again reminded how the face of homelessness could be any one of ours at any time,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 am grateful for what I have and grateful our community has a place to offer these families a helping hand.鈥�
