Sheri Jones

Sheri L. Jones is an award-winning broadcast journalist, television news anchor, and educator with 37 years of experience in the television news industry. A Michigan State University alumna, she is currently a Professor of Practice in the MSU School of Journalism, where she brings decades of professional newsroom experience into the classroom, teaching broadcast journalism, news writing, and multimedia storytelling.

Jones spent 37 years at WLNS-TV 6 in Lansing, Michigan, serving as the anchor of the station's 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. Throughout her career, she became one of Mid-Michigan's most recognized journalists, covering major news events and producing special reports, documentaries, and public affairs programming. Her reporting has focused on issues affecting children, families, and communities, including mental health, human trafficking, the opioid epidemic, crime prevention, and gun safety.

Her contributions to journalism and broadcasting have earned her numerous honors, including induction into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018, Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2023, and Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2025. She is also a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle. Her professional recognition includes a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, multiple Michigan Associated Press awards, Emmy nominations, and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters' 2023 Best News Anchor Award.

Jones has produced and contributed to award-winning documentaries and special reporting projects. She wrote and narrated We Can Do It! A Celebration of Michigan Women, an Emmy Award-winning documentary broadcast statewide on PBS. Her two-part documentary Kenya Connection, filmed in Homa Bay, Kenya, received the Michigan Associated Press Best Enterprise Reporting Award. Her extensive reporting on the opioid epidemic earned recognition from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, while her in-depth coverage of mental health issues received a 2021 National Media Award from Mental Health America.

In addition to teaching at MSU, Jones continues her work in broadcasting as host of Impact Michigan on WKAR-TV, a quarterly public affairs and documentary-style series exploring how major national trends and forces affect everyday life in Michigan communities. She also hosts Hope in Action with Sheri Jones, a podcast produced in partnership with UnoDeuce Multimedia, featuring conversations with individuals and organizations making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Throughout her career, Jones has been actively involved in community service and nonprofit leadership. Her commitment to servant leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2024 ATHENA International Global Servant Leadership Award, the 2023 United Way Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2025 Habitat for Humanity Capital Region Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2025 NAMI Michigan Community Advocate Award.

A proud Spartan, Jones graduated with honors from Michigan State University in 1987, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Recognized as one of the top 25 students in her graduating class, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Golden Key national honor societies.

Today, Jones is passionate about mentoring the next generation of journalists, emphasizing ethical reporting, strong writing, compelling storytelling, and the responsibility journalists have to the communities they serve.