Caitlin Weinstein Coyner '01

Iowa has been at the center of the nation’s attention twice in 2008, and both times, Caitlin Weinstein Coyner ’01 was there to help tell the story.

The seven-year television news veteran has been based in Des Moines, Iowa, since March 2005, working as the morning news co-anchor for CBS affiliate KCCI. Two of her biggest stories have come recently with the Iowa caucuses in January and the disastrous flooding that affected a large part of the state in June.

“The flood was a huge story for us and for me,” said Coyner from Des Moines on a July afternoon after her morning responsibilities had been covered. “I traveled the path from Des Moines to Ottumwa and told the story of how each town was preparing for the flood. The following day, we had major flooding issues in downtown Des Moines. There were sections of town that had mandatory evacuations. I interviewed evacuees in one section where the water was nearly four feet high. We took over national programming that day.”

Interrupting the regularly-scheduled broadcasts is one thing, but having a report go national is even bigger. That was the case when Coyner covered the caucuses, which are “a huge deal in Iowa … I interviewed all the candidates. I was stationed at (Barack) Obama’s headquarters when the numbers came in, and I did an incredible interview with him that was picked up by C-SPAN2. The energy at that location was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.”

That’s Caitlin Coyner’s story in 2008. But what were things like for Caitlin Weinstein as a senior at Crystal Lake South High School in 1997?

“I was a three-sport athlete, and I was involved in speech, debate and theater,” she said. “I felt like I wanted to attend college at a smaller school.”

That small school wound up being Monmouth, thanks in large part to the admission rep for the Chicagoland area, Peter Pitts.

“I wouldn’t have gone to Monmouth if it hadn’t been for Peter Pitts,” Coyner states flatly. “He was relentless – like a bulldog. He helped show me that there was a definite interest in people at Monmouth.”

That interest carried over to the college’s faculty, and Coyner was particularly influenced by a pair of communications professors, Trudi Peterson and the late Chuck Feldman.

“The advice I received from Trudi was more personal than professional,” said Coyner, who graduated with majors in political science and communications. “She was a strong female role model, and she pushed me to grow as a student and as a person … I had a real coming of age at Monmouth. Trudi nudged me in the direction that I had to grow up, and I also got some of that from (history professor) Stacy Cordery, although I didn’t have a class with her until my senior year.”

Feldman served as a professional mentor, and he also provided the “big break” that launched Coyner’s career.

“I told him that I was interested in getting into broadcast journalism, but I thought the only way you could do that was if you knew somebody who was already in the business,” said Coyner.

It turns out the person she needed to know was Feldman.

“He got out a phone book and said, ‘Here you go, call him up and ask him,’” said Coyner. “I said, ‘No way, it can’t be that easy.’”

“Him” was a manager at ABC television affiliate WHOI in Peoria, where Coyner landed an internship her junior year and continued to work as a senior.

“That’s what opened up the door for me,” she said. “On my first day there as an intern, I tagged along as they covered a fire. It wasn’t a major fire or anything like that, but I remember thinking, ‘This is so cool … this is what I want to do.’”

Her internship experience was instrumental in her landing a broadcast position immediately after graduation at WGEM, an NBC affiliate in Quincy, Ill., where she worked for 18 months as a news anchor. Coyner then went back to the Peoria market, working for two years as the morning anchor for CBS affiliate WMBD before heading west to Des Moines.

A typical day for Coyner at KCCI includes waking up at 3:30 a.m. so that she can be at the station by 4. She goes over the scripts for the day and then “I do my own make-up and hair. That’s the question I get asked my most people,” she laughed.

At 5 a.m., Coyner and her co-anchor go on the air, providing two hours of news leading up to CBS’s “The Early Show,” which airs from 7 to 9 a.m. Coyner provides short news “cut-ins” every half-hour during the show.

From there, Coyner’s routine varies, depending on the stories she’s assigned. She said she enjoys working on feature stories and also likes to report on fitness issues. When a major story breaks, though, her routine is definitely rattled, and she put in some 17-hour days during the flooding.

“With the caucus, I’d get home late and sleep for an hour and a half and then go back in for the morning show,” she added. “You run on adrenaline, but it catches up with you eventually.”

“One of the things we like about Caitlin is how natural she is on the air,” said Dave Busiek, KCCI’s news director. “She’s a very good live reporter. She gets strong information and then is able to present it in a comfortable, relaxed and confident manner on-air … I get very positive feedback from viewers about her.”

So what’s next for the talented TV anchor?

“I’d like to end up in Chicago, which is home for me,” she said. “I’d like to do network news and reporting, which I enjoy much more than being an anchor. I want to take it as high as I can.”

It’s clear that Caitlin Coyner has a gift. While many would shudder at any type of public speaking, she feels at ease in front of a television camera. Coyner has used that gift to fashion a successful career, but she is also keenly aware of the importance of giving to others. Despite her busy broadcast schedule, she is extremely involved in the Des Moines community, including serving on the board of the area animal rescue league, coaching softball teams and reading once a week to elementary-age children. The latter habit is an extension of her days at Monmouth when she served as an English tutor at the local library.

Coyner has also volunteered her time and expertise to Monmouth College communications majors who are interested in broadcast journalism. Two have already taken her up on that, and perhaps more will in the future.

Coyner feels it’s only appropriate to give back, whether it’s to her adopted Iowa community or to her alma mater.

Coyner participated in the "Outhouse Races" at the Iowa State Fair.

“I’m not comfortable with the term ‘celebrity’ … if I was standing in front of you right now, I’d put air quotes around that word,” said Coyner. “But since I am recognized in the community, I want to use that status for the greater good. I’m passionate about a number of issues – children, women, animals – and it’s my responsibility to do what I can to help.”

That ties right into what Coyner said she believes she gained from her time at her alma mater.

“Monmouth College helped to shape and prepare me to be the person I knew I eventually wanted to be,” she said. “The overall experience shaped me personally and professionally.”

In 2008, Coyner has interviewed low-income housing residents forced from their homes by flood waters, and she’s had a sit-down with the Democratic nominee for president. Her ability to pull both of those assignments off ties directly to Monmouth College.