Summary
Phil Cross is an Emmy award-winning investigative journalist and educator. Phil served as the co-director of the first ever statewide high school journalism program. Phil co-founded the program which has been honored with top awards awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Scholastic Media Association. Phil’s personal journalistic work has been honored by the Oklahoma Associated Press, the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. Phil’s investigative work has been cited by national and international publications and broadcasts. At his heart, Phil is a storyteller with a passion for educating others.
Experience
Co-Director, EPIC News Network
[June 2019] – [Present] EPIC Charter Schools
- Headed up the creation of a state-wide journalism program
- Taught journalism, newswriting, video production and audio production
- Created weekly student video newscasts
- Maintained contacts with state leaders and high-profile figures in Oklahoma to visit students and appear in student productions.
Investigative Reporter
[March 2007] – [April 2019] KOKH-TV/Fox 25 News, Oklahoma City, OK
- Senior reporter responsible for leading the station’s “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign.
- Investigates and reports on claims of government waste, fraud and abuse
- Maintains contacts with political and community leaders
- Began position as a producer and general assignment reporter
Producer and Assignment Editor
[January 2005] – [February 2007] WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA
- Assignment Editor
- Managed news crews, assigned stories, maintained files, monitored scanners, maintained contacts and gathered information for all newscasts.
- Coordinated online/on-air political coverage for 2006 election.
- Assisted in adding content to website, and filled in as web producer
- Reported occasionally for weekend morning and evening newscast.
- News Producer
- Produced weekend evening newscasts and worked on top-rated morning show.
- Worked to develop story ideas for weekend newscasts as well as plan and set up interviews.
- Additional Duties
- Worked as photojournalist as needed to shoot and edit on evenings and weekends.
- Trained to shoot video from news helicopter.
Producer
[July 2004] – [January 2005] KOAM-TV, Pittsburg, KS
- Produced the dominant #1 6:00 and 10:00 newscasts in the Joplin/Pittsburg market
- Volunteered to shoot video for breaking news and sports during time off
- Edited video for newscasts as needed.
Qualifications
Master of Science in Criminology
[August 2014] – [December 2015] Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK
- Graduated with High Honors
- Cumulative GPA: 4.0
- Research topics of interest criminal behavior, crime victims and ethics in policing
- Master’s Thesis on defining key terms of solving a crime and application to high-profile criminal cases
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, emphasis in broadcasting
[August 2000] – [May 2004] Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO
- Minor in Psychology
- Cumulative GPA: 4.0
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Outstanding Graduate in Mass Communications
- Senior Honors Thesis: Nonverbal Communication and Detecting Deception
Additional honors
Emerging Leaders Program – Completed the EPIC Emerging Leaders program which provided specialized leadership training and mentorship.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizens Academy – Completed the course for community leaders. Resulted in increased knowledge of federal investigative efforts with hands-on training in firearms and surveillance.
Corporate Mentorship Program – Acted as a mentor for new investigative reporters within Sinclair Broadcast Group television stations.
Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association Conference Speaker – Invited guest speaker for multiple years. Conducted multiple lectures on topic related to Oklahoma open records laws and investigative reporting for television
Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice – Panelist for the criminal justice forum discussing officer involved shootings.
Oklahoma Department of Homeland Security Media Training – Invited panelist for discussion of media coverage and access during natural or manmade disasters as a part of training for first responders.
Special Skills
Adobe Creative Cloud – Proficient in the use of Adobe products including Premiere Pro and Photoshop. Basic skills in other Creative Cloud apps such as After Effects, Animate, Lightroom and Illustrator
AVID Editing – Proficient in all AVID newsroom software programs including Media Composer and iNews.
Other Software – Proficient in all Microsoft Suite products, Audacity (audio editing) and a variety of video/audio editing apps
Some Sniper Training – Capable of hitting a quarter at 100 yards due to training received during a television news story with a military-trained sniper.
Data Collection and Analysis – Proficient in knowledge and use of Oklahoma’s Open Records and Open Meetings Act. This skill has allowed for the collection of information used for data-driven stories.
References Available Upon Request
