Sikeston native wins regional Emmy award

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Winning his first Emmy award last month was a major career highlight for broadcast journalist and Sikeston native Cody Alcorn.

But the 27-year-old news anchor and reporter for the FOX affiliate, WHNS FOX Carolina, in Greenville, S.C., said he has more to prove -- to the industry and to himself.

"I don't have a big head, and I'm still down to earth," Alcorn said. "I'm not there yet, and this [Emmy] is my steppingstone."

Alcorn won the award for his feature news report "Nothing Left To Lose." Making the victory even sweeter was the fact all of his fellow nominees were from a larger Atlanta-based station.

Alcorn's Emmy-winning piece told the story of a young woman who lost her state trooper husband and infant child within a few months' time.

"It was showing people you never know what's going to happen from day to day. She met the man of her dreams, married him, had their son, and within four or five months it was all ripped away from her," said Alcorn, who admitted he still watches the video when he needs a reality check.

Alcorn said the Emmy award sits in his bedroom and serves as a reminder of the hard work and time he's already put into his career, which began only a few years ago.

"I won it, and it will always be with me, but the reality is, it's just a statue. That Emmy is not going to get me there," he said, adding he normally really isn't into awards but decided to give them a try this year.

Alcorn, who is the son of Mary Lynn Alcorn of Sikeston and Denny Alcorn of Morley, Mo., went to school at The University of Tennessee at Martin, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communications.

Alcorn worked as a weekend reporter until FOX Carolina decided to revamp its morning news show in January. It went to a four-hour format with Alcorn promoted as a co-anchor of the second half of the show from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Eastern time. The FOX affiliate reaches viewers in western North Carolina, northeast Georgia and upstate South Carolina.

"It was a huge adjustment," Alcorn recalled about anchoring again. "I went back to my roots and went from working 3 p.m. to midnight to 4 a.m. to noon and going to bed at 7 p.m. each night."

But Alcorn is by no means complaining.

"I still get to go out in the field and do stories," Alcorn said, adding he also likes the challenge of anchoring.

Alcorn said anchoring the morning news isn't as glamorous a job as it may seem. His alarm goes off at 2:45 a.m. Monday through Friday, he said.

"It's not what people think. I don't get up and am ready. I get up, throw on a T-shirt; I don't do my hair. I shower, put on dress pants and shoes, and I leave," Alcorn said.

When he arrives to work, he writes stories, makes news beat calls, listens to the police scanner and later gets ready for the camera, which includes wearing makeup and fixing his hair. Just before going on the air, Alcorn said, he swigs from an energy drink and coughs so his voice is ready for the broadcast.

"I'm working from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. to get ready for a two- hour show," Alcorn said.

When the morning show is over, Alcorn spends his time working on and reporting other news stories.

During his time at FOX Carolina, Alcorn has reported on some of the region's biggest stories. He reported from Columbia when musician Travis Barker and DJ AM's airplane crashed during takeoff. He reported live from the scene of a 13-hour standoff at a Madison, Ga., motel which stemmed from an Amber Alert in South Carolina. He was also part of the station's team that reported live from Washington, D.C., during President Obama's inauguration.

Alcorn's other work includes reporting as deputies raided drug houses, took down prostitutes in the act and busted men accused of trying to meet up with children for sex.

While he loves his job, the only downfall is he doesn't get to see his parents that often, especially since he has to work holidays, Alcorn said.

Mary Lynn Alcorn, who attended the Emmys with her son, said words can't describe the pride she has for her son and his accomplishments.

"For him to have gone outside of his comfort zone and pursue a career he has no concept of and is totally new to him -- and then went to a new city -- he took the bull by the horns and was totally on his own," Alcorn said about her son.

She said every parent has moments of pride with their children, and her son's Emmy win was one of those times.

"He's so humble and modest and gracious about all of it," she said. "His dedication is crazy. That's what has driven him. His expectations of himself are high, and he won't ever settle for anything less -- and he pushes himself."

Meanwhile, Alcorn said he will remain at FOX Carolina for at least the next two years, and beyond that, he isn't sure.

"You never know. I didn't think I'd be in Greenville this long, and it's great city with a strong market. But this isn't where I want to end it," Alcorn said of his career.

Alcorn admitted he'd like to work for a bigger market someday, maybe even for a network.

"I want to be where the big news is -- not so I can be on TVs nationwide, but I want to be there covering the hurricane in New Orleans and reporting things as they happen. I thrive on that and I like that challenge," Alcorn said.

Ultimately, Alcorn said he'd like to work on the national level simply for his own validation.

Alcorn added: "It's not about 'The Cody Show' but more about being there and doing it."

Viewers can watch Alcorn in action every morning on the Internet through Fox Carolina's live feed at www.foxcarolina.com.