Media Hall of Fame - Barbara Roethler

Barbara Roethler, 1993, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts: Roethler, a native of Farmington Hills, Michigan and 1993 Broadcast and Cinematic Arts graduate, was selected as one of six 2024 honorees who have distinguished themselves in their professions. She has spent 30 years working as a broadcast reporter, producer, digital director and news director, and is currently serving as communications director for the Huron Valley School District.

Roethler’s interest in broadcasting began in high school when she had to shoot film for a project. Soon, she found herself on a field trip to CMU’s campus with her sister, a CMU student at the time, and her sister’s roommate, a broadcast student.

“I went with my sister’s roommate to watch a News Central show. That sealed the deal when I saw a daily newscast,” Roethler said. “It allowed students to have a hands-on experience.”

Like many incoming freshmen, Roethler lived in the Towers student housing, arriving one week before classes started. On her first day, she walked the campus and looked for her class locations, sizing up CMU as “small enough that you’re not completely overwhelmed.” 

Once inside Moore Hall, the hub of the broadcasting program, Roethler began to gather the experiences and skills she needed to prepare for a successful career.

“I focused on what I needed to learn,” she said. “By graduation, I had the skill set because I did it every single day. Yes, there are more glamorous parts of this business, but you gain experience in every area – shooting, editing, writing and developing your on-air ability. I didn’t love being on air, but it helped me maneuver into production and then leadership positions. Years later, I could still run a prompter, which is important because newscasting is a team game.”

While many professors guided and mentored Roethler, including Dr. Pete Orlik, Dr. Alice Tait, and others who are still teaching at CMU, she remembers working closely with Laurel Gnagy at News Central.

“Laurel taught news writing and was our advisor. I worked with her a lot,” she said. “I also joined the CMU chapter of Alpha Epsilon Rho (AERho) honor society of the Broadcast Education Association in my sophomore year, which offered us opportunities to visit stations. One trip was to Chicago to WGN News, where I was able to sit in on a talk show.”

After graduation, Roethler prepared to return to the Detroit area but was “open to moving anywhere.” She joined the broadcast team at WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in Detroit, where she spent seven years, and then joined WILX-TV 10 in Lansing for four years. Her professionalism has been recognized with multiple Emmy Awards, Broadcast Excellence Awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, and Associated Press Awards. She was also recently inducted into the National Academy of Television and Arts Society Silver Circle. Now, as a hiring manager, she makes sure that CMU is her first stop to look for candidates and continues to be a resource for aspiring journalists.

“Most young journalists want to be on air, but I tell them to keep in mind the other aspects of broadcasting,” she said. “And talk to people who are already in the business. It’s not a nine-to-five job and they may need to work a morning show for years.”