Jessica Kartalija

Jessica Kartalija is an Emmy Award-winning journalist whose career in broadcast news spans local and national television. Kartalija began her career as a reporter for KYMA-TV in Yuma, Arizona, before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she reported for KASA FOX 2 and KOB-TV and later anchored the station's 4 p.m. news. She advanced to WJZ in Baltimore, where she spent 18 years as an anchor for CBS News. During her tenure, Kartalija received The Daily Record's Leading Women Award, which recognizes professional accomplishments, community involvement, and commitment to inspiring change, and was named a Baltimore Rising Star by the Living Classrooms Foundation.

Kartalija's move to Philadelphia marked a new phase in her journalism career. She served as lead co-anchor alongside Ukee Washington for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. broadcasts at CBS Philadelphia. Her approach to journalism emphasized covering stories and issues with impact, focusing on solutions and highlighting individuals contributing to their communities. Kartalija was honored with the Broadcaster of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for her work.

Kartalija later joined 6ABC's Action News in Philadelphia, where her reporting focused on investigative journalism and human-interest stories, further establishing her as a versatile journalist. She expanded her reach as a national correspondent for NewsNation, reporting from the network's New York bureau across daytime and primetime programming, bringing her storytelling to a nationwide audience.

In addition to her broadcast journalism work, Kartalija is an adjunct professor of public speaking and journalism at Villanova University. She serves on the Dean's Advancement Council for the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, where she earned her undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism, and holds a master's degree in communications from The Johns Hopkins University. Kartalija has appeared in productions including HBO's "Servant," Netflix's "House of Cards," and "Transformers," demonstrating experience in both news and entertainment media. She also serves on the advisory board of Horizons Greater Philadelphia, a camp for children with cancer, reflecting her commitment to community engagement and education.