Your WBA Young Professionals Committee is welcoming two new members. The committee hosts events for their peers in broadcasting, running a mentorship program, publishing a newsletter, and taking on new initiatives for the WBA.
Aisha Morales, WBAY-TV, Green Bay
Hi everyone, I’m Aisha Morales, a news anchor/reporter at WBAY-TV 2 in Green Bay. My roles have changed over the years here, but they’ve all helped me grow in such a big way. I started at WBAY about eight years ago, anchoring the weekend morning show. A few years later, I was promoted to work the Action 2 News This Morning weekday show. For the last couple of years, I have been the face of what we call, the First Alert Safety Desk. My self-produced segment covers topics that help keep our viewers informed and safe (physically and emotionally). I also cover traffic reports during the morning show, and anchor our mid-morning newscast.
I have always been open to trying new things as our industry grows and evolves. I’ve really enjoyed learning and researching stories that could make a positive impact on our community.
Green Bay is my third broadcast television market as a reporter/anchor. I moved here from Colorado Springs, Colorado where I worked as a weekday reporter and weekend forecaster at FOX21 News (KXRM). I honed down on the skill of learning the weather world, and storm chasing. I’ve always had a passion for informing and helping to keep people safe.
My first television market was Yuma, Arizona. It was a great market, and opportunity to work on my multimedia journalist skills, editing, producing, writing, and forecasting. I also was able to practice my Spanish-speaking skills as a broadcaster. Working in a small market gave me the time and space to grow.
Over the years I’ve received accolades that include WBA Best Online Personality, and one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Leaders (Madison 365).
My passion has always been giving back to the community. I do that by emceeing many events in our area, continuing my work with National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and becoming a WBA Young Professionals Committee member. I hope I can always help inspire my fellow colleagues in the journalism world.
Montse Ricossa, CBS 58 and Telemundo Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Hi all, I’m Montse Ricossa, a bilingual news anchor at CBS 58 and Telemundo Wisconsin in Milwaukee. I came to Wisconsin three and a half years ago, starting as Telemundo Wisconsin’s 11 a.m. anchor. It was a great year of growth for me and the station, as I spearheaded field-anchoring from events like Summerfest and Mexican Fiesta, something that the team hadn’t done before. I was excited about the opportunity to try new things with the team. I’ve been recognized for my work in journalism, receiving two Emmys, the Best Significant Community Impact award from the WBA in 2023, Best Use of Social Media in 2023 from WBA, and placed for Best Online Personality from the WBA in 2022 and 2023.
This spring, I took a step off the anchor desk and into the field as a reporter for CBS 58. Recently seeing the number of stories of immigrants being deported or wondering what’s next for them, I knew I could play a role in helping to be a voice for those who may not have one. It’s part of the reason I went into journalism in the first place.
Born in Mexico City, I moved to St. Charles, Illinois at five years old. My family would often watch the news, and I felt there weren’t enough people who looked or sounded like me. After receiving my bachelor’s degree at Augustana College in the Quad Cities, I became the first bilingual reporter for the NBC affiliate there, KWQC.
That first market proved to be one where I learned a lot about the industry and the role that viewers can play for journalists. The community welcomed the first and only Spanish-language reporting, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when information was ever-changing. I became close with community leaders and embraced what my role as a journalist meant for those around me.
I’m excited about joining the Young Professionals Committee and hope the next generation continues to showcase representation in news.
