Madeline Clark

Multimedia Journalist / News Producer

I was born in Texas and raised in Tulsa but I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when I came here for college. I was in Eugene for two years before transferring to the University of Kansas where I studied English literature and Spanish.   

My love of languages led me to study abroad in Salamanca, Spain and attend the local university to complete my minor in Spanish. I wanted to continue learning the language and living abroad so after graduating in 2018 I moved to Valencia, Spain to teach English.

I was in Valencia when the pandemic started. I taught all through Covid, figuring out ways to show children how to pronounce English words while wearing a mask. It was a strange time with lots of changing regulations and government enforced curfews. Despite many things not being normal, my school was chosen to participate in an ERASMUS program for teachers. I worked with colleagues from Romania, Italy, and Turkey to develop new ways to introduce children to foreign languages and cultures.  

My final year teaching, 2022, was one of my most challenging as my school took in Ukrainian children fleeing from the war and resettling in Spain. We had to adapt to different schooling levels and help the children and their families adapt to Spanish culture and language while coping with incredible loss. It was one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had and I still think about my students to this day. 

These experiences, teaching during a global pandemic and tutoring war refugees, shaped my perspective and made me realize I wanted to work in the news. Telling people’s stories, being able to condense global events into the everyday lives we lead, and give context to the world around us is what drives me.

After my program in Spain ended, I decided to pursue my MA in Broadcast Journalism at City University London. I spent a year studying and working in London. My experience varied from writing for My London News to editing digital content for Pod Save the UK. I even got to produce a short documentary about egg freezing becoming a perk in the workplace. It was such an incredible experience that I can forgive being constantly asked if I knew any cowboys and to explain American healthcare.  

It’s been a decade of travel and lots of packing and unpacking but I’m glad to be back in Oregon and working with a wonderful team here at KTVZ in Bend! When I’m not at work, you’ll find me taking a yoga or Pilates class or exploring Oregon nature with the family dog, Dot.