Jasmine Huda: From Ladue High to the Anchor Desk at KMOV-TV

Jasmine Huda, 34, joined KMOV-TV in 2010 and is the 5 p.m. anchor and a 10 p.m. reporter. Previously, she worked in markets in Washington, D.C., and Springfield, MO. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and worked for National Public Radio in Ann Arbor.

Her father is a retired ophthalmologist and she grew up in Frontenac and attended Rossman School then Conway Elementary; Ladue Middle and High School. She is the youngest of five children.

This is what she had to say to Patch.com.

Patch.com: We know television work is both hard and rewarding. Tell us about the insides of the business.

Jasmine Huda: A lot of people think I just come to work, someone hands me the script and I just read it. Its a lot more complicated than that.

Television really is a team sports unlike radio or other types of journalism where you are out a lot on your own.

My work requires me to work with photographers, producers, writers, executive producers and production assistants to get the product on the air. It’s a lot more involved than people think. I write all my own stories. It’s hectic but I love it.

Patch: At what stage of schooling did you decide that radio/television would be your career path?

JH: The ninth grade. I got involved with forensics. The speech/debate team; the Talking Rams at Ladue. One of the events I was involved with was radio/news speaking.

You write and deliver a five-minute newscast. You sit with your back to the judge and he has a stop watch, and you do national/international local five-minute reports. Timing mattered and I loved it. We didn’t have the internet back in those days. I was introduced to KWMU and that’s when I decided I wanted to do public radio.

Patch: Did Ladue offer special communications training when you were there?

JH: That’s where I cut my teeth. I was in mock trial and had great debate coaches. I learned how to put together an argument and how to write and of course learned Journalism 101. I did Panorama (the school’s yearbook).

Patch: Why do you think Ladue has produced so many people who have on to careers in Journalism?

JH: Ladue has such a strong communications program. The English Department has such a big part of that. I was very well prepared for college because of such a strong English Department. I was blessed to have such a good educationat Ladue. Ladue teachers are very good in recognizing students who can become good public speakers. Rob (now) Doctor Good in AP History encouraged us on the first day to all try speech and debate. They know those students would know how to put together documents like term papers.

We had a very strong team in the communications program. A lot of people just took off from there.

Tomorrow, Huda talks about being recognized by her peers, getting into the community to speak and other pertinent topics.