Broadcast journalists Eva Parks ’03 and Joshua Parr ’11 are used to working behind the scenes, but at the 35th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards Ceremony in September, they stepped into the spotlight as members of award-winning news teams.
Parks served as the investigative producer for Driven to Distraction, a seven-month probe by the NBC 5 Investigates team that revealed serious crashes caused by police officers distracted by technology in their vehicles, such as computers, GPS, smart phones and cameras. The report won in the Outstanding Regional News Story – Investigative Reporting category.
Parr worked as a broadcast associate on Caught, a special report on CBS’ 48 Hours about the manhunt and capture of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. The segment earned the Emmy for Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a News Magazine.
The Emmy winners spoke recently to SMU Magazine writer Leah Johnson ’15 about how hands-on opportunities and encouraging professors at SMU prepared them for success in a highly competitive field.
Eva Parks says she never imagined a career as an investigative producer. At SMU she interned for an entertainment reporter, but her future kept taking serious turns as she accepted hard news assignments for NBC and Fox News.
She later worked in SMU’s Office of Public Affairs before joining KXAS-TV, the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate, in 2012. She currently serves as the investigative producer for the NBC 5 Investigates team.
How did SMU pave the way for your career?
I loved that my journalism classes were taught by professionals who had a wealth of information because of their experience in the business or had an amazing Rolodex of contacts they were willing to share. By my second semester, I was interning at a local TV station and getting hands-on experience. My class was also the first class to be a part of SMU-TV. In fact, I was the first executive producer. I learned a lot while producing that show and made a lot of mistakes, but it resulted in some of the best experiences and memories I have of my time at SMU. Also, a lot of TV networks would call the journalism department looking for runners or production assistants to help out on shoots. So I was able to start building my résumé and make contacts while I was in school, which was an advantage with landing my first job.
Talk about some favorite professors and SMU memories.
Some of my favorite professors still teach at SMU – Michele Houston, Camille Krapelin and Jane Suhler, to name a few. Their doors were always open, and they were always eager to help. Some of my best memories were made in Umphrey Lee while shooting a show for SMU-TV or shooting projects across campus with fellow alum and still best friend, Carissa Hughes ’03. Another highlight was when Don Hewitt came to campus and a few of us got to have lunch with him and pick his brain. Looking back, SMU opened so many doors for me, and I am forever grateful to the experience and access the University provided.
What did it take to get where you are today?
I’d say simply putting myself out there and not being afraid. During Hurricane Katrina, I was working for NBC in the Dallas bureau. We were on a conference call with all the shows, and you could sense the urgent need for resources to help crews in New Orleans and along the coast. Someone had asked if anyone knew how to get RVs and supplies. I sent a message to the guy leading the conference call, and within a matter of minutes, we were ordering RVs to go to New Orleans. I chose to speak up, and that single moment really took my career to the next level.
What did it feel like to win the national Emmy?
When they called our name, we couldn’t believe it. We were up against some amazing investigative teams. When we were on stage, I kept pinching myself because I couldn’t believe it. I looked out into the audience and saw Dan Rather, Brian Williams and Lester Holt. It was a proud moment, for sure!
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is that I get to help people. Period. I’m fortunate that my news director and station have made an investment in investigative reporting, so I get the time to go deeper and ask more questions.
What do you do in your spare time?
When I’m not investigating, you’ll probably find me walking my little dog, Mico, or whipping up something special in the kitchen. I love to cook and try new recipes.
Joshua Parr works as a broadcast associate for 48 Hours, the CBS true-crime series now in its 27th season. Like Parks, Parr was sold on SMU and its journalism program from the beginning. He says gaining hands-on opportunities and real-world experience in print and broadcast journalism while a student was a definite advantage in the competitive world of network news.
How did SMU prepare you for your career?
The journalism program provided many opportunities to immerse myself in the world of news. From The Daily Update to The Daily Campus, journalism students are allowed to use what we learn in the classroom in real-life situations. I covered the groundbreaking of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which was one of my first experiences with breaking news. I spent countless late hours in Umphrey Lee editing packages that were due the next morning, which definitely prepared me for script writing and working on deadline.
Tell us your favorite SMU memories.
I truly cherish my time at SMU. Some of my favorite memories are of projects and activities with my BYX (Beta Upsilon Chi Christian fraternity) brothers, from building our Homecoming float, to playing ultimate Frisbee on the quad, to Boulevarding. Believe it or not, I really enjoyed getting up at 6 a.m. and doing The Daily Update in the journalism wing. It may have been early, but I feel it provided a camaraderie with my fellow journalism students and gave us a challenge of putting on a newscast, which many of us have to do today.
What challenges have you faced?
Working for a major network in New York City right out of SMU took some adjustment. I learned quickly how to do the mechanics of the job, but the most important thing I learned was to have a good attitude, a calm head and a willingness to help in any situation. I feel these three traits are paramount and help me along the way.
How did you get to where you are today?
It was through the mentorship of my SMU professor Lucy Scott that I am where I am today. She was a field producer at 48 Hours and leaned on me for help with a local story. From there I was able to get an interview in New York City in my last semester at SMU. I found out I got the job of production secretary at 48 Hours the day before graduation. I was very excited about the opportunity, but also very nervous; after all, I had little money and nowhere to live in NYC. A week before I was supposed to move, I was blessed again with a place to stay for three months, for free! It was clear that this was where I was supposed to be. I spent my first few months at 48 Hours learning the ropes. There were a lot. I started in the month before the 10th anniversary of 9/11. My first field shoot was at Ground Zero.
What did it feel like to win an Emmy?
It was a great honor. The whole 48 Hours team pitched in during the tragic events at the Boston Marathon bombing to put together an amazing and informative broadcast. It was great to be a part of such a big operation at CBS News, collaborating with other broadcasts and sharing information.
What does this mean to you in terms of success?
It’s an honor to get the Emmy award, but in the long run, it’s not the goal. The goal is to put on an informative broadcast for the good of the public.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is that it allows me to cover very interesting stories. I have time for a personal life and get to travel every so often to cover trials and do interviews with people involved in the cases we cover. It’s also a great accomplishment when we have an impact on the justice system, for instance, helping to get someone who was wrongfully convicted out of prison.
You are also an artist. What inspires you?
Art is something I’ve always had a passion for, but I’ve never given it the attention it deserves. I wish I would have double majored instead of getting only an art minor. I feel most joyful when I’m creating something, be it a painting, an illustration or a wood work. Lots of things inspire me. I really enjoy making functional art that can be used but also viewed for its beauty. Right now I’m exploring woodworking and building furniture for our apartment.
What about your personal life?
My wife, Emily, and I have been married for over a year. We live in Harlem. We both enjoy seeing movies, running and bike rides in Central Park. We are small group leaders at our church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
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