Nancy Preyor-Johnson: Isis Romero’s return a win for San Antonio and journalism

About a year ago when Isis Romero announced on Facebook that KSAT didn’t renew her contract, this city was shocked. People took to social media to share their heartbreak. On Facebook alone, more than 4,400 people commented, many demanding answers and vowing to stop watching the station’s news. Why was their favorite news anchor suddenly gone? Some were so sad they cried. Several commented about Romero’s other role, as a Latina journalist. Bonnie Ortegon wrote: “You are a role model for young aspiring Latinas everywhere.” As part of her Facebook post, Romero, who has more than 91,000 followers, said she enjoyed anchoring San Antonio’s top newscast for the past decade and took pride in “representing my culture and community as the city’s most tenured Latina news anchor currently on English-language TV.”

I am an Isis Romero fan, but what stung the most was that San Antonio was losing a beloved Latina anchor. As time passed, I began to believe that if some other market didn’t entice her, she wouldn’t be out of the San Antonio spotlight for long. She’s too talented. Too loved. Romero made the most of her time off. She used the extra time with her husband, Phil Anaya, KENS 5 weekend anchor, and their three young sons, ages 7, 6 and 4. She finished coursework and graduated with a master’s degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And she kept the faith. “I prayed a lot and I said, ‘God, put me where you want me to go. Open the door you want me to walk through and I’ll go,’” she said. And now that Romero has landed a new job — anchoring the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts at KENS 5, the CBS affiliate — this city couldn’t be happier. That Romero is delivering the news each night is a win for San Antonio — and for journalism.