
Melanie Alnwick
The question I am asked most frequently is, "How do you do it?!" Usually, this happens after I tell someone that I get up for work every day at 2 a.m.
The answer is simple: I do it because it makes sense for my family. I've done just about every assignment there is here at FOX 5 -- nightside reporter, investigative reporter, money and consumer reporter, anchor-- and when the opportunity came around to do the early morning shift, I took it.
Now I am able to continue a career that I love, and be home in the afternoons to do my second job as a mom and household executive. I started my first newspaper when I was 8. OK, it was just a handwritten rag on notebook paper, complete with my own illustrations of neighborhood happenings -- but I clearly had the bug.
I've always been the kid with a million questions. My parents get huge credit for teaching me not to be afraid to ask. I was encouraged to pick up the phone and call someone if I wanted information.
As an Air Force family, we also moved around a lot. Seeing so many different cultures helped expand my vision of the world. I still remember the Buddhist kids I knew in Thailand who wouldn't allow their photographs to be taken. They believed it would steal their soul. I keep that memory with me every day when I interview people on camera. I firmly believe that we, as journalists, are being entrusted with their persona and it’s our duty to present them accurately and fairly.
I studied at the University of Florida and James Madison University. My first job in TV was the news director's secretary at WUSA-9 here in DC. It may have been a minor role, but it was invaluable. I got so much inside knowledge of how a TV station works and was able to learn from journalists who were at the top of their game.
Did I mention I've done weather also? That was my first on-air job in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I still know my way around an NWS forecast map! :)
At NBC-17 in Raleigh, North Carolina, I learned how to shoot a gun, found out what a hog waste lagoon is, and got to witness one of the last live tobacco auctions in the state. I also engineered a fantastic trip with the U.S. Air Force to Bosnia, Albania, Germany and Italy during the Kosovo conflict -- and had the privilege of flying in the cockpit of a C-17 across the Atlantic.
Coming back to DC to work for FOX 5 was an honor. I'd have to say my proudest moment was winning a National Emmy for my series of investigative reports on Spring Valley. After the dinner, Jane Pauley came up to me and said, "Great dress... and an even better speech!" I don't ask for a lot of affirmation in this business, but that little exchange made me feel as if I'd finally taken a seat at the Journalists' Table.
I volunteer at local hospitals with Musicians on Call, and I also teach art history to elementary school students. It’s such a treat when I meet viewers who are also early risers: baristas, delivery guys, police officers, mad joggers... there is a whole different city out there in the wee hours of the morning.
I tell my kids I'm lucky to be able to take in the sunrise every day. So if you're an early riser, please join us every day starting at 4 a.m… we're up, too!
The latest from Melanie Alnwick
Violent crime down 58% in DC amid federal crackdown, JTF-DC says
The Joint Task Force District of Columbia says violent crime in D.C. dropped nearly 60% during a one-week span amid President Donald Trump’s federal law-enforcement crackdown.
Montgomery County Public Schools kick off new year with stricter phone rules
Montgomery County Public Schools are back in session, and students are returning to some big changes.
DC head students back to school amid Trump's crime crackdown
More than 52,000 students and 4,800 teachers returned to D.C. classrooms Monday, kicking off the new school year amid heightened security and political tension over a federal crime crackdown.
John Bolton’s home searched by FBI in classified documents probe: AP
The FBI searched the Maryland home of former national security adviser John Bolton on Friday morning as part of an investigation into the handling of classified documents, according to the Associated Press.
VP Vance visits National Guard at Union Station amid DC protests
National Guard members stationed at Union Station received an unexpected visit Wednesday from Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who handed out burgers and thanked troops for their service.
$500 tip reward draws some skepticism amid Trump’s federal takeover of DC
Federal officials are offering a $500 reward for tips that lead to arrests in D.C., as President Trump’s federal takeover of the city continues.
National Guard expands patrols to DC Metro stations amid crime crackdown
National Guard troops are now patrolling several Metro stations across the District as part of an expanded federal crime crackdown.
DC Attorney General rejects federal move to replace police chief amid Trump takeover
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb late Thursday called a federal directive naming the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as Washington’s "emergency police commissioner" unlawful and unenforceable.
DC homeless encampment cleared as Trump pushes to extend federal control
City crews cleared a homeless encampment Thursday between the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial, as concerns mount over President Donald Trump’s push to extend federal control of Washington, D.C.’s police department beyond the legal 30-day limit.
43 arrested in DC Tuesday as National Guard presence expected to increase: official
A significantly larger National Guard presence is expected across Washington, D.C. starting Wednesday, as operations shift from evening patrols to around-the-clock deployment, according to a White House official.