Leanna Scachetti, 28 / Digital Anchor/Multi-Media Journalist, Podcast Host, WDB7
As WDBJ7’s first digital news anchor, Leanna Scachetti reports breaking news live on multiple platforms simultaneously including on air, live streamed online, social media platforms and streaming services. Her podcast “Hometown Stories” earned a National Edward R. Murrow Award, 2021, and she won an Emmy and a Virginias’ Associated Press Broadcasters’ award for her work covering the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Florida and its connections to Southwest Virginia in 2019. Scachetti spearheaded weekend work sessions for coworkers to share ideas, skills and tips and annually organizes the newsroom effort to help a family through the Salvation Army’s angel tree program. “I’ve seen some of Roanoke’s best and worst days up close. I no longer relate to areas by zip codes, but by the people who call it home. This challenges me to be a better reporter than I was yesterday. Delivering answers and telling stories in a high-quality format is important to me because you are my friends and neighbors,” she says. “Covering the rough days in Roanoke then propels me to put some good back in whenever I am able. And I love organizing a group effort for good, using the energies and unique passions of the cohort around me for the benefit of our community. Together we can achieve anything!”
- Earned Bachelor of Telecommunication News with a minor in Spanish, University of Florida, 2015
- Nominated for a Capital Emmy award, 2019 and 2020
- Nominated for Creative Excellence, Virginia Association of Broadcasters, 2020
- Nominated for Douglas Southall Freeman award, 2020
From the Nomination: “Leanna Scachetti is a true professional who is certainly deserving of this honor. She is an award-winning journalist who has mastered traditional hard news coverage, in-depth reporting and human interest stories and she is also on the cutting edge of new technology as the first digital news anchor at WDBJ7. Scachetti has mastered new technology at the digital broadcast center that allows her to report breaking news live on multiple platforms simultaneously including on air on WDBJ7, live streamed online on WDBJ7.com, Facebook, RokuTV, and on Gray television’s local news live which reaches a national audience. She “directs” and anchors her own live streams that include live interviews, video, graphics and pre-produced news reports. … Perhaps one of Scachetti’s most impressive attributes is her desire to always inspire her colleagues to learn and grow. She has spearheaded Saturday work sessions where reporters, editors and anchors can share ideas, skills and tips to help one another. She’s offered her time to train others on the complex OTT system that’s used for her digital reports. She has organized outings to welcome newcomers to the station and the area. … She’s the first to provide a card for all to sign when a colleague has suffered a loss, is fighting an illness or is celebrating the birth of a child. Scachetti’s list of accomplishments reads like that of a veteran journalist who has spent decades in the field yet this bright young professional has been in the business for not much more than a decade. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Scachetti. …”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Scachetti: “I love that Roanoke truly feels like home. As a professional, the reporting opportunities are abundant. The mountains tell stories, the rivers sing songs, and the people live in ways I want to share with the rest of the world. And some of my favorite days outside of work are spent enjoying the region’s incredible recreational offerings. Nothing feels better than a glass of local wine or beer after a beautiful Roanoke hike! The history is rich. The people are kind. The nature is stunning. I am who I am today because Roanoke and WDBJ7 let me be exactly who I want to be.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Scachetti: “I’ve seen some of Roanoke’s best and worst days up close. I no longer relate to areas by zip codes, but by the people who call it home. This challenges me to be a better reporter than I was yesterday. I’m constantly working to learn more and hone my craft. Delivering answers and telling stories in a high-quality format is important to me because you are my friends and neighbors. Covering the rough days in Roanoke then propels me to put some good back in whenever I am able. And I love organizing a group effort for good, using the energies and unique passions of the cohort around me for the benefit of our community. Together we can achieve anything!”
