Do what you love, love what you do, and smile your way through it all.
Award-winning journalist Symone Woolridge is proud to be a new member of TMJ4’s news anchor team. Symone joined TMJ4 News in March of 2022.
A native of Evanston, Illinois, Woolridge joined TMJ4 after anchoring and reporting in Memphis, Tennessee.
She fell in love with the warmer weather in the south, so it will take her a while to adjust to Midwest weather again-- but she has the winter coat ready to go!
Prior to working in Tennessee, Symone worked at the NBC affiliate in Tupelo, Mississippi where she was a reporter and the station’s first weekend morning anchor. She anchored and produced the morning newscasts.
To understand several positions in and around the newsroom, while in college, Symone worked as an associate producer and multimedia journalist at an ABC affiliate in Carterville, Illinois. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
In her most recent role at WREG-TV in Memphis, Symone was the station’s first breaking news anchor for the weekday morning show. She covered everything from crime, politics to severe storms.
She also had her own weekly segment called “Bright Spot,” which highlighted positive news in the area. Symone finds it extremely rewarding to recognize and highlight people doing positive things and succeeding, especially in underserved communities.
Growing up not far from Milwaukee, she feels at home in the Midwest and is excited to be back.
“My family still lives in Illinois and after pursuing my career hours away from them, I now get to continue doing what I love with them right here with me as they watch and support me from a front row seat. This move means a lot to them and to me. It’s certainly a full circle moment. I’m back near where I started and who I started with,” said Symone.
In addition to being a self-proclaimed “newsie,” Symone is a sports fan, dog lover and foodie. Please send her your favorite restaurant recommendations. She loves being outdoors, reading, listening to music, spending time with family, learning new Spanish words and watching court and legal shows and documentaries.
She also loves to hear from viewers. If you have a story idea, feel free to message her and share. If you just want to introduce yourself, don't hesitate to do so. Trust, it makes her day. Symone almost never meets a stranger so basically, you two are friends now.
