Tom Powell

Tom Powell is an award-winning journalist and Senior Reporter for 21Alive, with 25 years of reporting experience asking important questions and telling stories that keep you informed and connected to the people at the heart of them.

Tom has spent much of his career in Fort Wayne, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. He anchored Fort Wayne’s NBC News at 5, 6 and 11 before moving into newsroom leadership and eventually serving as News Director for WPTA. He later returned to his first passion, reporting, with a focus on enterprise and investigative stories.

His work for 21Investigates focuses on digging deeper into stories affecting people across northeast Indiana, from public safety and local government to homelessness, technology and issues viewers bring to his attention.

One story that has stayed with Tom is the tragedy that led to Aubree’s Law. He followed the loss of a mother and her three children through the families’ fight for a law requiring convicted criminals to listen to victim impact statements.

Throughout his career, Tom has been grateful to the families who have trusted him to tell their stories, often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Getting to know them and sharing their stories with care has been one of the most meaningful parts of his career.

Tom’s assignments have taken him across the country, from Washington, D.C., for a presidential inauguration to Los Angeles for coverage of NBC’s “The Voice.” His work has been recognized with three regional Emmy Awards and two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.

A University of Illinois graduate, Tom began his career in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, just days before the September 11 attacks. Watching veteran journalists handle such a difficult story was an early lesson in how important it is to cover difficult stories with both compassion and care.

Tom went on to spend eight years reporting at WREG in Memphis, covering high-profile court cases and a presidential visit to Graceland. He then spent five years at WSJV in South Bend, anchoring the evening news, helping lead the news team and having a great time cheering on the Fighting Irish.

Tom chose to make Fort Wayne home, building a life here with his family and an incredible group of friends and coworkers. He’s grateful to be part of the community he covers.

Have a story Tom should look into? Send him a tip at Tom.Powell@21AliveNews.com.