Q: How did your career start as a news anchor?
MF: I started my career as a news anchor at WHAG in Hagerstown, MD. WHAG then became WDVM, which is now DC News Now. I was in Hagerstown for almost 2 years, before I got the opportunity to join WCCB on our morning show, then called Fox News Rising.

Q: How did you prepare for your first news anchor job?
MF: Internships were the most important part of preparing for my first job in TV news. Internships in working newsrooms is really where you learn whether you’re cut out for this business. Because, quite frankly, it is very difficult, the hours are difficult, you don’t get holidays off, and you move to where the work is. People find out during internships if they have the passion for this, or if it’s not the career for them.

Q: How do you handle difficult or emotional stories?
MF: The stories about child abuse are the ones that keep me up at night, or that I think about years after the case is adjudicated. I don’t have any amazing advice on how to handle the emotional part of covering those types of stories. I do think that allowing yourself to feel emotion about those types of stories allows you to do a better job of being a voice for the victim. In my opinion, it’s not normal or necessary to cover a story like a child murder with a detached, “neutral” stance. Passion and emotion can drive a reporter to produce excellent journalism that touches a community and affects changes.

Q: Have you ever had that one embarrassing moment on TV you can share with us?
MF: I honestly do not get embarrassed very easily. I take my work seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously. I like to have fun while I’m working (when appropriate), and I have been very lucky at WCCB to work with people who I also genuinely enjoy. We all make each other laugh and I think it helps our mental health, collectively, on a daily basis.

Q: Tell us how you manage your work life balance with your busy schedule.
MF: I don’t think work / life “balance” is a reasonable goal for anyone. There is no balance on a day-to-day basis. There is a give and a take, an ebb, and a flow, and I have learned that there are also seasons where my foot is firmly on the gas at work, and there are seasons where my foot eases up and I catch my breath at work. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and living life outside of work also helps me do a better job at work, because it keeps me grounded and gives me perspective.

Q: What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?
MF: What’s not on my resume is my life-long passion for horseback riding. I rode from the age of 7 - 21, then my parents kicked me off the payroll and said get a JOB! Ha! Which I did, worked on my career, got married, had my two babies, and then, found my way back to horses. I ride competitively now with my trainer, Logan Harris of LH Equestrian, based out of Matthews. My daughter rides, too, and I am absolutely over the moon about how much quality time we get to spend together, enjoying our animals and this sport.

Q: Who was the biggest influence in your life growing up?
MF: My parents. They pushed me hard to succeed, to hold myself accountable, and to have a hard work ethic. I have been called “driven” before, in a negative context, but to me, I take it as a compliment.

Twelve Things About Morgan Fogarty

1. What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Ride my horses

2. Among your friends, what are you best known for?
Being funny, outspoken, and direct

3. What’s your favorite app on your phone?
Facebook

4. What TV shows did you watch when you were a kid?
Beverly Hills 90210, Part of Five, Melrose Place and Friends

5. If you unexpectedly won $10,000, what would you spend it on?
Pay bills! (Or buy horse stuff, ha!)

6. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Night owl, 100 percent

7. What would your perfect vacation look like?
Sun, sand, sleep

8. Do you read reviews, or just go with your gut?
I read reviews!

9. What’s your signature drink?
Bubbly water. I don’t drink much alcohol!

10. Would you rather cook or order in?
Order in!

11. What was your favorite subject in school?
English and Art

12. Cake or pie?
Hmmmm. BOTH!