Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Stacey.
Hi Jonathan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I remember watching the news as a teenager in East Tennessee, and after a brief attempt at acting and modeling, I thought I might be better suited for the more serious side of the “small screen.” Plus, I was always fascinated by the news and weather as a kid, and I was quite fond of the people who delivered it – now I’m one of those “TV people.”
It all started with the decision to attend Middle Tennessee State University, where I majored in broadcast journalism. After internships in Nashville, Tennessee, and New York City, I started my on-air career in Bristol, Virginia, as a news reporter and MMJ – meaning I shot, edited, and reported. From there, I made a pit stop in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where I was a lifestyle show host and weather anchor. After a year there, I cruised down I-65, where I worked in Huntsville, Alabama, as a reporter. before I left the Rocket City, I ended up getting a chance to deliver weather reports for the weekend morning newscasts while I earned my meteorology credentials online through Mississippi State University.
From Alabama, I relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, and worked there for a couple of years as a weekend meteorologist, where I spent 12 hours on air each Saturday and Sunday. During that time, I covered everything from the 2017 Solar Eclipse to Hurricane Irma to a Kennedy Space Center rocket launch.
My next stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, provided me with an opportunity to return to the entertainment and infotainment world as a co-host of a lifestyle show. I also delivered traffic reports for the morning news and presented the forecast at noon.
The tone of the lifestyle show shifted during the pandemic, and my role changed a bit, so I set my sights on something new and returned to a full-time weather role – this time as a meteorologist for FOX 5 Atlanta. And after more than 11 years in the news business, I’ve lived in Atlanta – three years – longer than any other place previously.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not.
Every stop and station has presented its own variety of challenges. Perhaps the most challenging part has been the scheduling factor. In over a decade of working, I’ve only had a “9-to-5” Monday through Friday job once – roughly 10 months or so. I’ve spent the majority of my career working early mornings or weekends, which has cost me a lot time with my family and friends. And I’ve definitely worked more holidays than I’ve had off.
As a tried-and-true Southerner, early on, I had to work really hard to perfect my enunciation and projection. Yet even today my southern drawl seeps out occasionally.
Like most folks, I’ve had my share of good and not-so-good bosses. I worked for places that where abundantly resourced and others that were scraping by. Navigating internal politics in a newsroom is tricky, but thankfully, I’ve generally been able to rise above it all.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an on-air meteorologist for FOX 5 Atlanta, my duties include forecasting the weather for our North Georgia audience, updating the computer graphics that help convey the weather story, and ultimately delivering the forecast on air.
Currently, I’m primarily responsible for presenting in-studio weathercasts for FOX 5 Atlanta’s weekend evening newscasts. During the week, I do live shots in the field about inclement weather or something fun happening in the community, report on climate or environmental matters, or fill in for a weekday meteorologist who has the day off.
Every now and again, I work on a special project or story which allows me the chance to interview a celebrity or well-known person.
Off-the-air and off-the-clock, I spend dozens of hours a month in the community, giving back by speaking to students, attending events, and volunteering across the Atlanta Metro area.
Then there’s the non-stop world of social media posts and email replies. Enough said there.
I’m most proud of some of the long-form stories I’ve produced. Particularly a piece about the strange and even dangerous hazards lurking in the waters of Lake Lanier. I won an Emmy award for the story.
At my core, I’m a storyteller both in the field and on the weather wall.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I describe myself as a natural risk-taker. In terms of the job and my personal life, I’m always up for adrenaline rush. Whether it be skiing down a mountain or skydiving off a plane, or throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game (it was awful – btw), I believe in trying pretty much anything at least once, and I’m even willing to do it live on the air.
For me, I think each step in my career has been a form of risk-taking because each job has been fundamentally different than my previous job. Perhaps the risk there is embarrassment more than anything else. Because you’re on TV, your mistakes and growing pains are public. So, being the “new guy” doing the “new thing” time and time again takes a lot of guts and tenacity. Even when I’ve failed, I believe the try has been worth the risk. And if anything, I’ve learned what I good and not-so-good at.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/person/s/jonathan-stacey
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceyonscreen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonathanStaceyFOX5/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JStaceonFOX5
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa28twvGiRUcjnAOs1BBITQ
