Thuy Vu, a UC Berkeley alumna, acclaimed journalist and former writer for The Daily Californian, will be the host of a new Friday evening news program, “KQED Newsroom,” which premieres this October.
The show will replace “This Week in Northern California,” a weekly public affairs roundtable news segment by KQED. “This Week in Northern California” has been led by veteran Bay Area journalist Belva Davis for the past 19 years.
“KQED Newsroom” — which honors the KQED groundbreaking news program of the same name that aired in 1968 — will deliver interviews with newsmakers, debate segments and field reporting to viewers in both televised and radio formats.
For Vu, the new show is an opportunity to apply her 20 years of reporting experience, fostering connections with the Bay Area community and telling local stories in an innovative medium.
“I’ve never had the opportunity in my entire career to build a new program,” Vu said. “I’m excited about engaging in the community and getting their feedback on what we are doing well or what we are missing. I really want to analyze how we cover issues and how we present them.”
Vu began her journalism career while she was an undergraduate student studying rhetoric at UC Berkeley. She wrote for the Daily Cal during her senior year and spent many hours dedicating her time to live broadcasting for the UC Berkeley radio station, KALX-FM.
As a young girl, Vu and her family escaped war-ravaged South Vietnam in 1975 and came to the United States as refugees.
“I came here as a little girl from Vietnam without knowing a word of English, so it is amazing to think back on the journey from there to where I am today,” Vu said. “(A career in journalism) was just something that evolved. I never had a grand plan to become a journalist and work on TV and help spearhead a new program.”
In addition to her new role at KQED, Vu will continue hosting segments for LinkAsia, a Bay Area nonprofit televised program that delivers news to viewers from countries throughout Asia.
George Lewinski, series producer at LinkAsia and Vu’s former instructor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, said he knew Vu was special since first meeting her as a student.
“Very rarely do you get a student who you feel it is a sure thing that they’ll become a journalist, TV host or reporter,” Lewinski said. “Vu has always had the ambition, the talent and the smarts to succeed in the business. I think she is a fabulous hire for KQED.”
Joanne Jennings, an executive producer for KQED, said she is confident that Vu is ideal for the new program.
“She brings this great sensibility, and as far as a host, she is curious, sympathetic and interested in how real people are affected by big decisions,” Jennings said.
Contact Stephanie Petrillo at [email protected].