2018 Silver Circle Inductee Tracy Vedder

Tracy Vedder was lucky to spend more than 27 years pursuing her passion in the fractured, hectic, dynamic, soul-wrenching and ultimately satisfying world of broadcast journalism.  

She began her career in Spokane at KXLY where she learned the “biz,” from puff to hard-core. One of her earliest stories was with a guy in a gorilla suit. But just after a few years of experience, she produced an Edward R. Murrow award-winning series about a cultish church that prevented its members from watching TV or reading newspapers, required its women and girls to wear long skirts and always cover their hair, and forced abusive punishments upon children for minor misbehavior.

She moved to KREM in Spokane in 1990, when “going live” was becoming a daily occurrence even in smaller markets and TV stations were going for big splash stories. She worked with other top-notch reporters and photographers who were all about doing the best work they could—and friendly competition meant everyone got better. She spent days covering the stand-off at Ruby Ridge and went to the Middle East to cover the beginnings of the first Gulf War. She also produced documentary reports on cultural and environmental issues.

In 1995, Tracy and her husband Dane made the cross-state move to Seattle and her new home at KOMO, where opportunities for travel and far-reaching stories abounded. She traveled to Macedonia, Albania, Japan and Switzerland for stories of both local and national significance.

Tracy’s greatest journalistic love, however, was reserved for the stories that made a difference in peoples’ lives at a very personal level. When KOMO committed fully to investigative reporting in 2007, it was truly a dream come true for Tracy. She had, almost, free rein to go after organizations and agencies in positions of power that had abused the public’s trust—in some cases, with deadly results. Hospitals, charities, government agencies, iconic Seattle businesses—all were fair game with Tracy and KOMO when they crossed the line.

In early 2017, Tracy left KOMO to begin her next adventure, on a horse ranch in southern Idaho. With her husband, two dogs and six Appaloosa horses, she’s mastering in herd dynamics and the art of manure management. And now watching, reading and critiquing the news!