Chandler Watkins

I was born and raised in Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas. Go Bears! After deciding to study journalism with an emphasis in broadcast, I worked my way up the ladder at our student-run news station, News6, from reporter to producer to eventually news director. I also covered various sports as a photographer and reporter for our sports journalism program now known as the Purple and Gray Network, including covering our football team when they won the Southland Conference Championship. I’m a huge sports fan and continue to cheer on the Bears from the PNW.

My first news job was at KPLC and Fox29 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where I was a reporter and anchor. While there I covered many memorable stories including trying my first crawfish at the annual Crawfish Festival and interviewing then-President Trump during one of his visits to SWLA.

I then moved a few hours north to Shreveport, Louisiana to our sister station KSLA, the CBS-affiliate that covered the ArkLaTex. There I kept the community informed as we entered the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the stories of our area’s veterans and active serving military members in our franchise KSLA Salutes, and covered the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

My career has now brought me to the Pacific Northwest, and I cannot be more excited to continue to keep my community informed in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington at Fox 12 Oregon. I’m from the Natural State so you can find me checking out all the amazing sights and hikes the PNW has to offer. If you have any recommendations for areas, trails, or restaurants to check out, send them my way!