Kayla Hackney worked for the East Tennessean from 2019 to 2021. She served as the news and features editor during her time with the publication.
Hackney graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in media and communication.
She currently works for the Johnson City Press as the reporter for all events in Unicoi County. Hackney covers news surrounding government, crime, education, features and all other occurrences in Unicoi County.
“I really love that I get to cover a little bit of everything,” said Hackney. “Unicoi County is beautiful and the people there are wonderful and that makes the job really fun as well.”
As she expands upon her work as a journalist, Hackney reflects on her experience while working for the East Tennessean.
“I think working for the East Tennessean prepared me for my job just as much as any single class that I took,” said Hackney. “I learned a lot about having good news judgment and how to find stories, the proper way to set up and conduct interviews, while finding my personal voice as a writer and how to work under deadlines.”
