Angela Chen brings a measured calm to KESQ’s morning newscasts, the kind that signals thought before delivery.
Journalism wasn’t a childhood plan. It emerged gradually through Chen’s interest in people, systems, and the responsibility of explaining one to the other. That sensibility shows in her reporting, which prioritizes understanding over urgency and empathy over spectacle.
Covering the Coachella Valley, Chen has learned that local stories often carry personal stakes. She believes facts matter most when they’re paired with context and care, particularly when reporting on issues that touch families, culture, or identity.
Chen is also aware of what it means simply to be visible. “There’s power in simply being seen. You never know who’s watching and thinking, ‘Maybe I can do that too,’” she says. Representation, she notes, isn’t abstract. It’s a young viewer recognizing themselves on screen and realizing they belong in the story.
Quietly intentional and deeply grounded, Angela Chen has built trust not by commanding attention, but by being herself, “you are exactly who you are off camera, maybe just a little less sarcastic on camera.”