Dana Smith is a journalist who focuses on empathy and honesty. You can find her at the anchor desk during our 5:30 and 11:00 pm shows, Monday through Friday.
Dana joined the 13News Now team in 2019 as the anchor of 13News Now Daybreak on Saturday and Sunday mornings. She became a weekday evening anchor in 2024.
As a native of Nassau, Bahamas, Dana is no stranger to beach-side towns and is proud to call Hampton Roads home.
During her time at 13NewsNow, she's covered many breaking news and major stories in Hampton Roads and Northeastern North Carolina ranging from severe weather to crime and court cases.
Her coverage includes: the investigation and recovery of the car that drove off the Virginia Beach fishing pier, the Richneck Elementary school shooting, the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake mass shootings, police identifying a suspect in the Colonial Parkway murders, and the 2020 Bertie, North Carolina tornado.
She's covered many high-profile court cases including the trial of former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe and the no-body murder trial of Adrian Lewis.
Dana has tracked legislation in the General Assembly extensively and covered many housing concerns and changes in our area including the St. Paul's Area redevelopment and the Navy Federal mortgage "disparities" controversy.
She's closely followed crime and shootings in Hampton Roads but also worked continuously to highlight community activists and anti-crime groups on the ground, working to combat the problem.
Dana’s experience as a reporter is wide-ranging but her favorite stories to tell are yours. She wants to give a voice to people who ordinarily might not be able to get their stories out there.
Before arriving in Norfolk, Dana was an anchor and multi-media journalist at WDTN in Dayton, OH.
After graduating from Tiffin University with a degree in Journalism, Dana worked as a newspaper reporter for The Tribune in Nassau, Bahamas.
Her background in newspaper reporting helped her grow her skills as a storyteller and writer.
She made the move to television news. Shortly after that, Dana became an anchor and reporter on the nightly OUR News newscast in the Bahamas as part of The Nassau Guardian’s broadcast team.
When she’s not working, Dana enjoys listening to music, reading novels, going to the gym, and relaxing on the beach. She's also a big foodie and has a fondness for oysters.
You can email Dana as well as follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
