Dennis Bragg, Radio and TV Broadcaster
Competitive with compassion
By Lauren Heiser
When some people think of the news media they imagine smirking faces of politicians who are masquerading as journalists.
Dennis Bragg, a veteran television reporter and anchor in Missoula, Montana, doesn’t think that’s how journalism works.
“In my experience, it’s never that organized,” Bragg said, laughing.
Originally from Livingston, Bragg’s career in journalism started at the young age of 13 when he wrote copy for his father who worked in radio.
He was introduced to the world of television journalism at KIRO in Seattle and spent more than 30 years working in western Washington.
In 2007, he moved back to Montana, where he currently serves as a reporter and anchor for the KPAX 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. news and hosts “The Breakfast Show” on The Hawk radio.
His days vary, based on the stories he’s working on. “After I finish my radio show on The Hawk I will sometimes hit the road, especially if stories are in the outlying counties,” Bragg said.
Jill Valley, a colleague, said her first impression when she met him 10 years ago was that she thought his energy was endless. “He is fearless in his pursuit of news, competitive to the core but also has the biggest heart,” she said.
The KPAX station is quiet for most of the day until Bragg comes in, with a handful of stories to discuss. “He walks in the door talking, ‘OK here’s what I’ve got for you today,’” Valley said.
Her most cherished memory of their collaboration comes from her time battling breast cancer.
Bragg and a fellow anchor showed up to support Valley the day before she went into surgery. Later, Bragg reported the story of her journey and of her survival. “My parents watched it and it made them cry,” Valley said.
Bragg says he became a journalist because he was curious about stuff. “Local journalism is a perfect way to sort of satisfy that curiosity,” he said.
His experience over the years taught him that the world is always changing. “All the sudden what you thought were people’s objectives and viewpoints can just turn upside down,” he said.
Bragg’s advice to new journalists is to never go into a situation with preconceived notions, be prepared for the unexpected, and to always be a sponge for information.
“There’s no real master plan, and I think people need to realize that and the reason is because we’re really an extension of them,” he said when asked what he’d like media skeptics to know about how journalism works.
“If they have a problem they should come to us and say ‘hey, I’ve noticed this or I’ve noticed that’, or whatever, and bring something to our attention. Then that allows us to interact and maybe go get the answers that people can’t find.”
