Mike Truett has been promoted to News Director of WISC-TV in Madison.
Truett joined the News 3 Now team last summer as Assistant News Director. The company said he, “has demonstrated strong leadership abilities from day one.”
“Over the past several months, he has served as interim news director during a nationwide search process, skillfully leading the multi-platform news team with dedication and vision.”
“I am excited to have Mike take the reins of the News 3 Now team here in Madison,” said Scot Chastain, VP/GM of WISC-TV. “He has tremendous leadership background, and I look forward to working with him as he grows our operation on every platform.”
Truett’s background includes spearheading award-winning journalism and driving growth and innovation in digital content and newscasts.
Most recently, Truett served as News Director at KWCH/KSCW in Wichita, Kansas, where he supervised a staff of journalists and technicians. During his tenure there, he created and launched an OTT digital newscast, a 30-minute Storm Team 12 Weather Focus daily weather newscast, and Fact Finder Investigates weekly investigative newscast. Under his leadership, the stations increased video plays and engagement across all platforms by 35 percent.
Prior to his role in Wichita, Truett served as News Director at WICS/WRSP in Springfield, Illinois, where he led the consolidation of two company newsrooms into a single market entity. He also spearheaded Emmy and Murrow award-winning coverage, including the documentary “Project Illinois: Justice for Ta’naja.” His leadership resulted in significant ratings improvements, moving the stations from 3rd place to 1st in all morning dayparts and from 3rd to 2nd place in 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. dayparts.
Truett’s career includes news director and assistant news director roles in markets including Mobile, Alabama, and Champaign, Illinois. He also served as assignment editor at WREG in Memphis, Tennessee, and began his broadcasting career at WMC in Memphis as Assignment Manager, MMJ, and Producer.
Truett served as a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps from 2006 to 2009, working as a journalism instructor at Horlivka State Pedagogical Institute for Foreign Languages and serving as a U.S. Representative to the Ukrainian Government Educational Development Task Force.
“I’m excited to become News Director at News 3 Now and join this dedicated multi-platform content team,” Truett said. “I look forward to contributing to the station’s legacy and delivering impactful news to our southern Wisconsin communities.”
Truett will lead the News 3 Now newsroom and work collaboratively with other departments across Morgan Murphy Media in Madison, including Madison Magazine and their editorial operations. In Madison, he will oversee the CBS affiliate WISC-TV, Television Wisconsin (OTA 3.2, cable channel 14), and the award-winning local website channel3000.com.
Truett holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Memphis.
