Amanda Kost is a national award-winning journalist.
Most recently, Amanda worked with the Scripps Washington, DC Bureau as a National Investigative Reporter. With our Nation's Capital and federal offices within walking distance, Amanda wasted no time chasing down answers in person. She thrives on her investigative instincts to ask tough questions, dig deeper, and hold officials accountable.
Amanda was an investigative reporter for KMGH-TV, the local Scripps news television station in Denver, Colorado, when she was chosen for the promotion to DC. Amanda accepted the new position and gladly moved across the country because she saw potential to deliver impactful national investigations.
Amanda was an investigative reporter for KMGH-TV, the local Scripps news television station in Denver, Colorado, when she was chosen for the promotion to DC. Amanda accepted the new position and gladly moved across the country because she saw potential to deliver impactful national investigations.
Amanda's passion to pursue quality journalism with a refreshing lack of ego have fueled her advancement.
Her readiness to shoot, edit, and run a live shot was put to the ultimate test in April 2013 when she was sent to Boston without a photojournalist. She hustled morning and night to provide live coverage of the "Marathon Manhunt" on-air and online for KMGH-TV Denver. Her work on both sides of the camera paid off. She navigated beyond network crews to bring up close coverage from Mt. Auburn street in Watertown, rolled video of the ambulance carrying the captured suspect, and stayed sharp for breaking developments.
That's the drive behind where Amanda is today. She quickly worked her way up from humble beginnings at her first reporting job in Tyler, Texas.
After three years in the Lone Star state, Amanda headed to the Rockies in a tremendous career jump to the Denver market at KMGH-TV, 7News. As a Colorado State University grad, Amanda was back in familiar territory and wasted no time raising the bar in local news reporting, turning daily stories into news-breaking investigations.
Initially hired as a morning reporter and editor, Amanda set herself apart immediately, participating in undercover stings with the Call7 Investigators, undergoing multiple shift changes to showcase her investigative talents, and ultimately moving to a prime reporting spot.
That's the drive behind where Amanda is today. She quickly worked her way up from humble beginnings at her first reporting job in Tyler, Texas.
After three years in the Lone Star state, Amanda headed to the Rockies in a tremendous career jump to the Denver market at KMGH-TV, 7News. As a Colorado State University grad, Amanda was back in familiar territory and wasted no time raising the bar in local news reporting, turning daily stories into news-breaking investigations.
Initially hired as a morning reporter and editor, Amanda set herself apart immediately, participating in undercover stings with the Call7 Investigators, undergoing multiple shift changes to showcase her investigative talents, and ultimately moving to a prime reporting spot.
Amanda’s drive to dig deeper on every story, combined with her passion for telling impactful, emotive stories, resulted in her greatest journalistic accomplishment to date.
In March 2012, Amanda began a six-week investigation into all aspects of the Lower North Fork Wildfire. Three people were killed and 22 homes destroyed when a controlled burn, which was set by the Colorado State Forest Service, escaped its boundaries and burned out of control.
In addition to producing daily, live on-air reports, Amanda worked around the clock to uncover new information and original content for a 30-minute special entitled, "Investigating the Fire." Amanda’s investigative work uncovered 9-1-1 callers were not warned of the danger and that many homes in range of the fire were not properly mapped, and therefore those residents never received notification to evacuate. Amanda revealed that the Colorado State Forest Service violated the prescribed burn plan when crews abandoned the fire the day before it escaped.
As a result, less than 24 hours after "Investigating the Fire" initially aired, state lawmakers announced a plan to change Colorado's immunity law, raising the cap originally set at just $600,000 for all victims of the fire. One lawmaker said:
"I watched the special last night on Channel 7 and it brought everything back. It was obvious Colorado made an error, an unforgivable error that will forever change the lives of these people."
-Colorado State Sen. Bill Cadman, Senate Minority Leader
In addition to producing daily, live on-air reports, Amanda worked around the clock to uncover new information and original content for a 30-minute special entitled, "Investigating the Fire." Amanda’s investigative work uncovered 9-1-1 callers were not warned of the danger and that many homes in range of the fire were not properly mapped, and therefore those residents never received notification to evacuate. Amanda revealed that the Colorado State Forest Service violated the prescribed burn plan when crews abandoned the fire the day before it escaped.
As a result, less than 24 hours after "Investigating the Fire" initially aired, state lawmakers announced a plan to change Colorado's immunity law, raising the cap originally set at just $600,000 for all victims of the fire. One lawmaker said:
"I watched the special last night on Channel 7 and it brought everything back. It was obvious Colorado made an error, an unforgivable error that will forever change the lives of these people."
-Colorado State Sen. Bill Cadman, Senate Minority Leader
For this outstanding work and lasting impact for Colorado residents, Amanda was awarded one of the highest honors in journalism, the National Scripps Howard, Jack R. Howard Award, for In-Depth Local Television Coverage.
Within weeks of this honor, Amanda would achieve recognition considered the pinnacle of journalistic excellence, the George Foster Peabody Award, for "Investigating the Fire." And she’s just getting started.