The television hums to life as homes across the DMV tune in to watch the nightly news. Under the camera’s bright lights, reporter Eun Yang delivers each story with confidence and professionalism, her familiar presence bringing viewers comfort and a sense of reliability. To many, she is a trusted News4 anchor, but behind the camera sits a journalist who built her career through years of persistence and dedication.

As an anchor for NBC4 Washington, Yang has spent over 30 years covering major events, from presidential inaugurations to the Olympics. But her journey started long before these broadcasts aired. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yang moved to Maryland when she was two years old and grew up in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.

Journalism captivated Yang from a young age, beginning when she would tune into Channel 9 News to watch longtime anchor Maureen Bunyan, whom she credits as one of her biggest inspirations.

“She was the most elegant, authoritative and regal person,” Yang said. “She really inspired me to want to pursue a profession in which I could do what she was doing.”

Watching Bunyan each night, Yang realized journalism meant more than simply reporting information. To her, the role carried confidence and authenticity  —  qualities that made the profession feel powerful and significant.

As Yang grew older, she recognized the importance of being truthful and knowing when to speak out against corruption, always putting honesty first.

“Being a journalist is about accurate and fair storytelling, and speaking truth to power, and to get both sides in an unbiased, accurate way,” Yang said. “Storytelling is at the heart of what I do.”

Yang attended Paint Branch High School and, after graduating, went on to major in broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland. While in college, she decided to apply for an internship posting at WUSA-TV, the CBS station in Washington, D.C. She didn’t know it at the time, but the internship would ultimately kick-start her career in the news industry.

Yang said that applying for internships looked very different from what it does today. Before the creation of LinkedIn and online job boards, students had to search physical bulletin boards for opportunities and often only had a few minutes to make an impression during interviews. Competing alongside dozens of other applicants, Yang quickly learned the importance of preparation and strategy in laying the foundation for her career.

“Preparedness is an effective cure for nervousness and anxiety because it gives you the armor to know what you’re talking about,” Yang said. “I was prepared to say what it is about me that made me stick out.”

While waiting for her interview, Yang noticed that she was the only Asian American candidate in the room. During the interview, she emphasized that her experience as the daughter of immigrants and her perspective about growing up between two cultures would allow her to bring a fresh voice to the newsroom, which she later said helped her secure the internship. 

While interning at WUSA-TV, Yang focused not only on reporting and anchoring but also on understanding every role within the newsroom. In addition to shadowing reporters and improving her interviewing skills, she learned how production assistants operate behind the scenes. The experience reinforced the reporting values that continue to guide her today: preparation, accurate storytelling and a commitment to highlighting voices that are often overlooked. By her senior year of college, Yang was balancing classes while working full-time as a production assistant at WUSA-TV, a job she landed through her internship.

Despite her success today, Yang said working in the news industry as an Asian American woman came with significant challenges. Early in her career, she often felt underestimated, and editors assigned her lighter “fluff” stories rather than more impactful, serious reporting jobs, such as politics, crime and economics. 

Yang’s experience reflects challenges that many women and journalists of color have described while working in the media industry. Historically, women have often been steered toward lifestyle, entertainment and human-interest coverage, while high-profile articles about topics like politics and crime are viewed as more prestigious. Asian American journalists in particular and have been underrepresented in television news. As a young Asian American journalist entering the workforce, Yang said she felt the effects of such marginalization.

“I felt like I had to work so hard and prove my value as a writer, a storyteller and a journalist,” she said. 

Rather than allowing those frustrations to discourage her, Yang used them as motivation to improve her skill set. Small assignments turned into opportunities to practice researching unfamiliar topics, thinking quickly under pressure and becoming more confident on camera  —  experiences she credits with helping her grow as a journalist. 

As she gained experience and self-assurance over time, Yang began transitioning from smaller, more local coverage to major national and international events. 

Over the years, Yang has covered a wide range of major events and topics, but she said that reporting on the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea remains one of the most meaningful experiences for her and her parents. For Yang, covering the event was both professionally and personally rewarding, particularly because South Korea hosted an international event on such a large stage.

“It was happening in the country of my parents, their homeland,” Yang said. “It was truly magical.”

In addition to anchoring daily broadcasts, Yang has also worked on projects highlighting important social issues, including rising anti-Asian prejudice in the United States. Growing up as a first-generation American, Yang said her background has strongly shaped the way she approaches storytelling and the communities she hopes to represent. 

Yang has received widespread acclaim for her detailed and efficient work. Along with recognition from organizations such as the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association and the Council of Korean Americans, her work has earned six Emmy awards and a regional Edward R. Murrow award. Yang said that while receiving these awards was validating, she believes the most rewarding part of her job comes from hearing viewer feedback.

“Making sure that we are serving our community and telling important stories that are impactful is more important than receiving an award,” she said.

Yang explained that journalism is not only about holding people in positions of power accountable, but also giving a voice to marginalized or oppressed communities. She said that growing up as a daughter of immigrants and “straddling” two cultures shaped her understanding of the importance of empathy and representation in broadcasting. 

Looking back on her career, Yang encourages young journalists to stay curious, ask questions and be observant. 

“We need journalists now more than ever,” she said. “Without journalists, we cannot know the truth about what’s happening in our world.”