It was the NFL that lured Janet Roach into pursuing a career in television news.
It wasn’t about touchdowns, a Hail Mary or the line of scrimmage. It was writing and presenting speeches on the topics of her choice for the National Forensic League as a high schooler that hooked Janet into eventually doing pretty much the same thing professionally.
Her journalism career has taken her from Myrtle Beach to Norfolk, Milwaukee, Washington D.C., Baltimore and back to Norfolk, doing what she loves, telling stories that affect the public good.
“I often say being a journalist lets me dip into a different world each day, never knowing where the facts will lead, but coming away smarter than I was the day before and ready for the next challenge,” she said.
Janet has been out front covering national headlines throughout her television career, from the terror attacks on 9/11 at the Pentagon to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
She is a 12-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, a three-time recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award, and a three-time national Telly Award winner.
Her most recent Emmy award in June 2023 was for her documentary exploring the tragedies of the growing fentanyl crisis.
Janet’s documentary, Donovon, told the story of the controversy behind the police shooting death of 25-year-old Donovon Lynch in Virginia Beach. The case eventually ended in a $3 million settlement between Virginia Beach police and the Lynch family.
Janet's documentary, 20 and Odd: Africans' Arrival in 1619, told the dramatic story of the first enslaved Africans to arrive in English North America in 1619 to Hampton, Va. That documentary earned her an Emmy and two National Gold Telly Awards.
Janet alerted viewers to the calamities of navigating a complex mental health system with a compelling story about a Norfolk mother fighting for adequate care for her mentally ill and autistic son in the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Looking For Happiness.
In 2020, Janet was inducted into the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle. The award honors industry professionals who have helped shape the broadcast industry and continue to influence its future.
Janet is a big believer in looking out for your community. She spends much time talking to women's and children's groups. She was selected as 2021 Famous Former by the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast.
She is also a member of TEGNA, Inc’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team, representing 64 local news stations across the country.
Prior to coming to Hampton Roads, Janet worked as an anchor/reporter for ABC affiliate, WMAR-TV in Baltimore, Maryland, WITI-TV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and WPDE-TV in Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC. She also worked as a freelance reporter for WTTG-TV in Washington, DC.
She is a former freelance reporter for Black Entertainment Television.
She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in Public Policy Analysis specializing in communications. She currently serves as a member of the General Alumni Association's Board of Directors. As a Tar Heel, Janet was inducted into the "Order of the Golden Fleece," which is the oldest and highest honorary society at the University. She also won the annual Martin Luther King Scholarship given to one student annually for his/her commitment to the improvement of the quality of life on campus.
Being a mom is Janet's proudest achievement. She has two teens, Gabrielle and Trevor. She lives with them and her husband, Harold, in Newport News.
She is also a member of First Baptist Church Denbigh in Newport News and the National Association of Black Journalists.
You can catch Janet on 13News Now, Monday through Friday, as she co-anchors our newscasts at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m.
You can email Janet as well as follow her on Facebook and Twitter.