Julia Benbrook joined Spectrum News’ Washington D.C. bureau in October of 2021. She serves as an on-air correspondent, reporting for Spectrum’s 24-hour news stations across the country from the nation’s capital, with a special focus on Kentucky’s congressional delegation

Julia previously worked in the Nexstar D.C. bureau reporting and producing political content for stations across the country. Before that, she was a reporter for the CBS affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma breaking down how national stories impacted the local audience. Julia was named a NextGen Under 30 award winner for the state and was nominated for a Heartland Emmy in the interview/discussion category during her time reporting in Oklahoma. 

Julia has a B.S. from Oklahoma State University and a Masters from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. While at Medill, Julia worked out of the school’s D.C. bureau; her work there was published by USA Today, Inside Climate News and The Hill, and used by TV stations around the country. Julia is a firm believer that the most important interviews often come from those who aren’t always given a voice in the media landscape and has made it her personal mission to grow with ever story she tells. Her work in Washington has featured the unique challenges that small businesses faced during the pandemic, highlighted how disenfranchised groups viewed the 2020 election and detailed what it was like to be a Broadway performer when the industry shut down for over a year. Julia was awarded the Deborah Orin Scholarship Award, given by the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Julia says her passion for journalism began in middle school in Oklahoma, when she penned an essay, ‘Why America’s Veterans Should be Honored.’ Julia wrote about her grandfather who served in the Navy in World War II and was held as a Japanese prisoner of war for 3½ years. The essay won a national contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Julia was flown to Washington, and spoke in front of the VFW’s national officers. The impact of that moment inspired Julia to become a journalist so there is a certain symmetry in returning to D.C., telling stories again!