Chris Hernandez is an American former reporter for KSHB-TV in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area and a current municipal official in Kansas City's Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity department.

Early life and education

Hernandez is a native of Shawnee, Kansas,[1] and received a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas.[2]

Broadcast journalism career

From 1992 until 1999, Hernandez was a reporter for WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri.[3][4] Prior to that, he had been a reporter for KFDA-TV in Amarillo, Texas.[5]

From 1999 until January 2002, Hernandez worked as a general assignment reporter for WEWS-TV in Cleveland;[6] Hernandez then joined WBBM-TV in Chicago as a general assignment reporter. In April 2004, Hernandez left the station and spent four months backpacking through Mexico and Central America.[7][8] Once he was done traveling, Hernandez returned to Kansas City in late 2004 to work at KSHB-TV.[8]

Communications work

In August 2012, Hernandez left KSHB to take a marketing position with the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City.[1]

Government service

In 2013, Hernandez resigned from the Unicorn Theatre to take a job working at City Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, as communications director.[9]

In August 2022, Hernandez was demoted from the top communications role at City Hall after Hernandez claimed that Kansas City's city manager, Brian Platt, suggested lying to the news media.[10] Hernandez, who remained a city employee as a special liaison in the city's Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity department,[11] sued the city in December 2022 in an employment discrimination lawsuit.[10] In January 2023, Kansas City's attorneys filed a response to the lawsuit, asking the judge to dismiss the case and noting in its motion that regardless of whether the city manager lied, there is no "law, rule or regulation" that prevents lying to the press.[12]

Personal

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Hernandez and his partner live in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b Ferruzza, Charles. "Chris Hernandez signs off at KSHB Channel 41 today, heading to Unicorn Theatre". The Pitch. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  2. ^ "Hernandez Leaving KSHB for Marketing Post". Bottom Line Communication. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013.
  3. ^ Barnhart, Aaron. "It's not TV, it's TV Barn, now with video!". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  4. ^ Barnhart, Aaron. "News moves have Anschutz cutting back, Hernandez cutting out". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  5. ^ Feder, Robert (December 19, 2001). "Museum flashes back on a legendary mayor". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 69.
  6. ^ Dawidziak, Mark (January 29, 2002). "For Channel 5's Booth, new job means more than changing stations". The Plain Dealer. p. E7.
  7. ^ Feder, Robert (December 19, 2001). "Channel 9's clown killer climbs corporate ladder". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 87.
  8. ^ a b "Reporters - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41". Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  9. ^ "Chris Hernandez leaves Unicorn Theatre for City Hall communications gig". The Pitch. June 26, 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Flener, Matt (December 9, 2022). "Former Kansas City, Missouri, communications director sues city claiming city manager suggested lying to the media and public". KMBC. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Hardy, Kevin (January 24, 2023). "Kansas City Hall says lying to the press isn't against the law in defending lawsuit". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  12. ^ Hartle, Sam (January 24, 2023). "Kansas City, Missouri, attorneys file motion to dismiss lawsuit from former communications director". KSHB-TV. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Chris Hernandez - Political Reporter - NBCActionNews.com". Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  14. ^ Resnick, Eric (October 26, 2001). "Rights ordinance haunts mayor race". Gay People's Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
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