2018 Silver Circle Inductee Laural Porter

I couldn’t have imagined the incredible ride ahead when I donned my cowgirl hat and hopped into the Cowboy Cadillac at KSON radio, San Diego’s country station. It was my first job out of college, riding around giving out collector belt buckles, then hustling back to the station to read the news … still in my KSON cowgirl outfit.

It seemed I was destined to ride the wild west trail.

My first break in TV came when the owner of KIFI offered me a job in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

I packed up my VW bug and headed for those wide-open spaces. It would be life-changing. 

I met my future husband the day I arrived. Years later, we would marry and have four beautiful children. 

The old adage, “Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life,” has been true for me. I was lucky to become the first female evening anchor at KIFI. I loved doing feature stories.

Later, at KTVB, Rod Gramer started the first morning show, making me and Carolyn Holly the first female co-anchor team.

After a stint at WESH in Florida, we returned to the West to join KGW, where I’ve anchored the 6, 10, and 11 p.m. news since 2000. At KGW, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing three Nobel Prize winners: President Obama, the Dalai Llama, and Malala Yousafzai.

General manager DJ Wilson and news director Rick Jacobs have entrusted me to be moderator of KGW's current affairs show, "Straight Talk," for the past 10 years. A program illuminating the issues critical to our community matters now more than ever.

Being inducted into the Silver Circle, and joining this exceptional group of industry professionals who set the standard for excellence in journalism, is a dream come true.

When we reflect on our lives and career, it's the people we remember most. The folks in Bone, Idaho, who got their first phones in 1982. Dugout Dick, who lived in a cave and invited me to his “cave warming.” The woman who regained her sight through the generosity of a Portland doctor.

I'm grateful to the people who gave me a break along the way. My bosses at KGW and Tegna who let me keep doing the job I love. The exceptional colleagues I've been fortunate enough to work with. And our viewers who have joined me on this journey.