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Elizabeth Donatelli joined WAVE 3 in April 2007. She is the political reporter, but also covers general news. While Louisville has quickly become home, she is from Alexandria, Virginia, which is just outside of Washington, DC.
Elizabeth has covered the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby several times interviewing NFL quarterback Tom Brady, Bobby Flay from the Food Network, and "Run" from Run-DMC. She has also won six awards from the Society of Professional Journalists including one for her work on the Karen Sypher trial who was found guilty of trying to extort money from University of Louisville Rick Pitino. She has been nominated for an Associated Press political report for following Sen. Rand Paul's campaign and an Associated Press investigative report on a Derby ticket scam. She has also been nominated for two Emmys.
Before moving to Louisville, Elizabeth was a reporter at WCAV/WVAW in Charlottesville, VA, where she also spent time coaching youth soccer teams. Stories she covered included a destructive church fire, a serial killer who murdered a University of Virginia student, and a figure skating duo with hopes of making the Junior Olympics.
Elizabeth also had the opportunity to intern at MSNBC and ABC in Washington, DC and report for CITICable 3 in Torrance, CA while in college. She graduated from University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication with a degree in broadcast journalism. While in school, she covered the Kobe Bryant trial and election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Elizabeth enjoys watching and playing sports, the outdoors, and the theater.
If you have a story you would like Elizabeth to cover, email her at [email protected]
What were your duties at ATVN? :
writer shooter editor, reporter, playback, prompter, studio camera
How did ATVN prepare you for your career?:
ATVN is exactly what it’s like in the real world of television. There are story meetings, packages to be cut, deadlines to be met, etc. It made the transition from student to reporter incredibly easy.
What is your advice to aspiring journalists?:
Be sure to take advantage of being in a small market and learn everything you can from operating a camera, to floor directing, to fill-in anchoring.