Michelle Fortin

About Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin is an award-winning broadcast journalist, professor, and media professional with experience in television news and higher education. She has worked both behind and in front of the camera, covering everything from breaking news to human-interest stories, and now dedicates her career to educating and mentoring future broadcasters.Michelle began her career at KTVK (3TV) in Phoenix, AZ, working as a writer and later a field producer, before moving on to KHGI-NTV News in Kearney, NE, where she served as a weekend anchor and reporter. She later worked as a reporter at WMTW in Portland, ME, gaining extensive experience in live reporting, interviewing, and storytelling. She was a lead reporter for the \"Patriots\' Day Nor\'easter\" newscast, which won the station an Emmy Award for Best Newscast. After leaving daily news, she transitioned into public relations, running a PR firm that represented a diverse range of clients.In addition to her work in media, Michelle has spent twenty years in higher education, teaching courses in broadcasting, journalism, and communication at multiple institutions. She has taught at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona Christian University, and Grand Canyon University, where she has been a faculty member since 2020. In 2024, she received the Provost Excellence Award. Her teaching focuses on news writing, on-air performance, media ethics, and digital storytelling, preparing students for careers in the rapidly evolving media landscape.Beyond academia, Michelle is known for Top Knot Comedy (formerly Leeann & Michelle), a creative venture that has amassed over 40 million views with viral comedic parodies and sketches. She performs improv comedy shows with a team of moms, evoking lots of laughs about motherhood, relationships, and pop culture. In 2019, PHOENIX Magazine named her among the inaugural \"Great 48\" — a list of the Valley\'s Most Influential People. Her viral hits have even aired on Good Morning America, TODAY, and Inside Edition.Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree from Biola University and a Master of Mass Communication (MMC) from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

Experience

1. Faculty Advisor

   Gcu Future Broadcasters

   Jan 2023 — Present

Education

• Biola University

  BA, Communications

  1995 — 1999

• Biola University

  Bachelor's degree, Communication and Media Studies

• Arizona State University

  MMC, Broadcast Journalism

  2001 — 2003

Skills

• Copywriting
• Journalism
• Crisis Communications
• Video
• Writing
• Storytelling
• Television
• Photography
• Interviewing
• News Writing
• Social Media
• Strategic Communications
• Microsoft Office
• Interviews
• Video Production
• Ap Style
• Videography
• Stories
• New Media
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Final Cut Pro
• Teaching
• Ap Stylebook
• Creative Writing
• Broadcast
• Improvisational Comedy
• Video Editing
• Speech Writing
• Radio
• Blogging
• Research
• Comedy
• Non-Profits
• Editing
• Investigative Reporting
• Marketing Communications
• Facebook
• Publicity
• Social Networking