’93 grad loves his work as political reporter Spring 2009 - By Mary Kate Malone
When David Price walked the halls of SIUE, he probably never guessed he would end up interviewing the future president of the United States one day, but that is where life took him. Price graduated from SIUE in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in television and radio. Today he is the full-time political reporter for the NBC affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa, — WHO-TV.
Price is still remembered at SIUE, where he said he got his start in television from Professor Riley Maynard and Broadcast Engineer John Kautzer.
“He never complained about assignments,” Maynard said. “He enjoyed the whole process.”
Maynard also said Price was a good anchor, smooth and possessed a lot of poise.
Kautzer had similar things to say, noting: “With all the students I see, I wouldn’t remember David Price if he hadn’t been putting a lot of time in at the video labs.”
After graduation, Price worked at St. Louis news talk station KMOX AM for two years before enrolling in the graduate broadcast journalism program at the University of Missouri-Columbia. After completing his master’s degree, Price moved to Montgomery, Ala., to launch a start-up station as the morning and afternoon anchor. It was not until two and a half years later that Price landed in Iowa.
“I have been spoiled here (in Des Moines),” Price said. “I get to be a political reporter in a state capitol.”
Price said the most exciting moments of his career so far came during the 2004 and 2008 Iowa caucuses. In 2004, Price had access to presidential hopefuls like Sen. John Kerry, (D-Mass.) and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and was able to interview each of them individually. Price however did not get to meet incumbent President George W. Bush. Four years later, Price would meet the man who would be president.
“It’s an experience I’ll never be able to duplicate,” Price said of covering the 2008 elections. “It was a historic race.”
Price said meeting Senators Barack Obama and John McCain was very exciting.
“I knew no matter who won; I would have spent time with them,” Price said.
Price believes people in Iowa were happy with President-elect Obama’s victory in their state.
“He put in a lot of time here,” Price said.
Obama had 120 paid staff in Iowa as opposed to McCain’s 30.
“McCain didn’t compete as much as the democrats here,” Price said. “Obama said Iowa comes first.”
Even in Obama’s victory speech on election night in Chicago’s Grant Park, he told the crowd that his campaign “started in the backyards of Iowa.”
On Oct. 6, 2007, Price achieved what he said is his greatest accomplishment — marrying his fiancée Emily Givens, a fellow Des Moines reporter for KCCI-TV. In the future, Price is not sure where he will end up, though he is content in Iowa for the time being.
“It’s harder to move around with two of us,” Price said of married life.
He also remains partial to Des Moines, saying, “It’s a small state with incredible access to candidates.”
Price’s work can be found on his online political blog, “The Price of Politics,” which he updates frequently with personal stories of interviews and political happenings at http://whoiapolitics.blogspot.com/.