MILWAUKEE — Longtime anchor Shannon Sims will be leaving TMJ4 News in November, the station announced Tuesday.
Shannon started as a weekend anchor at TMJ4 in 2013. A few years later, she would anchor hours of live breaking news coverage when the Sherman Park neighborhood erupted in violence in August of 2016.
A year later, Shannon launched the station’s public affairs program, 414WARD. She moderated debates featuring candidates for the U.S. Senate and Wisconsin Governor in both 2018 and 2022. In 2019, Shannon led TMJ4's year-long coverage of Wisconsin’s drunk driving epidemic known as Project: Drive Sober, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Interactivity.
In 2021, Shannon hosted the first-ever broadcast of Milwaukee’s Juneteenth Parade. That same year, she reported from Phoenix during the Milwaukee Bucks championship run and famously broke plates with a Greek restaurant owner while discussing his love for Giannis.
In 2023, she created a 30-minute special on Milwaukee’s gun violence problem called Beyond the Bullet. In 2024, Shannon hosted the Positively Milwaukee Awards and debuted PozCast, producing nearly two dozen podcast episodes.
Internally, Shannon was instrumental in the formation of TMJ4’s diversity team and the subsequent formation of its volunteer team. She has mentored, counseled, and guided a countless number of colleagues over the years.
"Shannon's passion for journalism and her commitment to our community have made a lasting impact on TMJ4 and the viewers we serve," News Director Tim Vetscher said. "She has been a true advocate for those whose stories need to be told. We are grateful for her contributions and wish her all the best."
"The titles and time slots were never what mattered most—it was the trust people placed in me to tell their stories, to ask tough questions, and to be there during the moments that mattered," Shannon said. "What a ride it's been!"
Shannon's final day with the station will be Wednesday, November 5.
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