NABJ Congratulates Former President Barbara Ciara on 50 years of Excellence in Journalism

NABJ congratulates Barbara Ciara, former NABJ President (2007-2009), on 50 years of excellence in journalism. In October, she announced she would be retiring from broadcast news to begin a new phase of her life. Newly engaged, she and her fiancé have plans for world travel.

Ciara is WTKR News 3’s Managing Editor, an Evening Anchor, and a Hampton Roads news icon. Her last day with WTKR News 3 will be December 1, 2023.

Ciara is celebrating completing a fulfilling career at WTKR News 3, where she started in 2000. She spent the last 43 years in the Hampton Roads spotlight, spending time at WVEC and WAVY before landing at WTKR.

“Not many people in this industry have the opportunity to work at three network affiliates without changing zip codes,” Ciara noted. “I consider myself blessed to have had a challenging career without sacrificing my connection to the community.”

Ciara’s journalism spans the globe. She reported from Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, and nearly a decade earlier, Ciara covered Operations Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom from active military locations in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. 

Ciara also provided coverage from GITMO after Cuban refugees escaped communist rule. On the home front, her reporting has included investigative journalism and interviews with prominent figures like Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, not to mention an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

She has been awarded several Capital Regional Emmys and nominations. Her most recent Emmy win in 2020 was for the long-form documentary “The New Canaan Experiment – Teaching Tolerance.”

NABJ wishes former President Ciara all the best in her next chapter of life, and thanks her for her contributions to our organization and the journalism community worldwide throughout her prestigious career.