Julie Watts Biography
Julie Watts is an American award-winning investigative anchor and reporter working for CBS13 in Sacramento, where she joined in 2019, after previously working for CBS 13 in San Francisco.
Julie Watts Career
Julie graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism as well as a Master of Arts in online journalism and she won Graduate Student of the Year at her USC commencement ceremony. Watts worked for ten years as the Consumer-Investigative Reporter and a contributing reporter for CBS News in San Francisco, where her stories were shared with CBS stations nationwide, before taking on the role of investigative reporter/anchor at CBS in Sacramento. She worked at KPIX as a news anchor and meteorologist (AMS).
As the anchor and host of the KPIX weekend morning show, she was nominated for Best News Anchor by the Associated Press. During her tenure at KPIX, she also received the prestigious award for “Excellence in Science Reporting by a Broadcast Meteorologist” from the American Meteorological Society. Before that, Julie worked at KCRA 3 in Sacramento and obtained her meteorology credentials (AMS Seal) from the American Meteorological Society.
She hosted the “KCRA Noon Show Live from the Arden Fair Mall,” where she discussed anything from cookery segments to creepy critters in addition to the weather for the weekend. Julie was a national host of TLC’s “Designing Spaces” and worked in Los Angeles for BBC & Reuters-TV as an entertainment reporter/producer. Julie started out in the news for CBS-47 in Fresno as a reporter, traffic anchor, and weather anchor. She also provided the morning news and traffic voice for the Clear Channel radio stations in the Central Valley.
The thirteen-time Emmy Award-winning journalist has also received numerous other honors in the field of journalism, including multiple National Press Club, National Headliner, and Gracie awards, as well as a Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Additionally, Julie’s work has won over a dozen regional honors, such as the Edward R. Murrow and Associated Press Awards.
Julie was most recently recognized for THE COVID LAB: State Secrets Exposed with an Emmy Award and a National Press Club Award. Inside California’s $1.7 billion COVID testing facility, whistleblowers sparked a 14-month probe. The story brought to light startling public health failings that state officials seemed to be trying to conceal, and it prompted federal and state inquiries as well as two new pieces of legislation.
Julie won an Emmy Award in 2020 for her work on “Troubling Water: The Ripon Child Cancer Investigation.” Parents first placed the blame on a cell tower on campus after learning that four of their children at one school had cancer. Subsequently, the CBS13 investigation uncovered evidence that the school district was aware of the chemicals in school drinking water but chose not to notify parents, as well as a history of cancer-causing chemicals in the city’s water and glaring errors and omissions in city water reports.
For her groundbreaking reporting on the topic, which she first raised awareness of while working at CBS in San Francisco, Julie was previously honored with an Edward R. Murrow Award. For her reporting on the California Highway Patrol’s delay in responding to DUI 911 calls, Julie was also recognized in 2020 with an Emmy Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and a National Headliner Award. She investigated the cost implications of recently installed mobile towers near schools as well.
Julie was honored with an Emmy Award in 2021 for her research on “State-Sponsored Identity Theft.” The state’s unemployment agency (EDD) was held responsible for placing millions of people at risk of identity theft during the course of a five-year probe. A state audit, a joint legislative hearing, and a new statute were all brought about by the reporting.
The investigative series “UN-Covered California” brought Julie her first Consumer Journalism Award from the National Press Club in 2014. The disclosures caused changes in the insurance industry and state regulators to take action, exposing multiple weaknesses in California’s health insurance exchange.
Julie’s “Toxic Safety” study into flame retardants in car seats in 2016 resulted in several recalls and fundamental improvements to the kid car seat sector. The investigation received recognition for its work with the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service, the National Press Club’s Award for Consumer Journalism, and the National Gracie Award for Best Investigative Feature. In addition, Julie received a National Headliner Award for her investigation into child ID theft, “Toddler Has a Credit Card,” and a National Gracie Award for her research into California’s Newborn DNA Database. In 2016, a new state law was also generated by that inquiry.
Julie is involved in multiple non-profit organizations outside of her job and has served on the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Board of Governors for over ten years. Julie handled the regional Emmy Awards competition for a number of years as the Emmy Awards Chair and Gala Chair. Over the previous ten years, Julie has also organized and produced five Emmy Awards galas. Among these, the first-ever virtual Emmy Awards ceremony took place in 2020, and it served as a model for other NATAS regional festivities around the country.
Julie Watts Salary
Watts earns an annual salary of about $47,000-$120,000.
Julie Watts Net Worth
Watts has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $7 Million which she has earned through her career as an investigative anchor and reporter.
Julie Watts Age
Watts has neither disclosed the date, month nor the year she was born. However, she seems to be in her 40’s.
Julie Watts Height and Weight
Watts stands on an average height of 5 feet 7 inches and weighs 70 kilograms
Julie Watts Family
Watts likes to keep her personal life private hence she has neither disclosed the names of her parent nor those of her siblings. However, this information will be updated when available.
Julie Watts Husband and Children
Watts is married to her loving husband and the couple is blessed with two children. The family resides in the Sacramento area. However, she has not disclosed the names of her husband or those of her children. This information will be updated when available.
Julie Watts NewsMom
Julie founded NewsMom.com and she goes by NewsMom on social media. Through this platform, she discusses how she’s navigating motherhood with the skills and tools she’s gained as an investigative reporter. Through Instagram photos featuring #MomLife and Facebook posts including #NewsYouCanUse combined, Julie takes great delight in researching subjects and items that most mothers would look into—that is if they had the means to do so.
Julie Watts Social Media Platform
Watts is very active on her Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. She has 1.8k followers on Twitter 760 followers on Instagram, and 3k followers on Facebook.