Joy Benedict

Joy Benedict is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who's called CBS LA home since 2011.

Known for her in-depth coverage of breaking news, community issues, and human-interest stories across Southern California, she has built a reputation for compassionate storytelling and strong field reporting. It is her unscripted coverage during live breaking news situations that makes her most memorable.

Following the Easy Fire in 2019, Joy won a Gold Mike Award for a 41-minute live shot as horses were rescued from a barn in Simi Valley. From the Eaton Fire in Altadena, the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, and mudslides in San Bernardino County, Joy has been at the front lines of some of Southern California's most devastating moments, informing the community and helping to keep people safe.

But she says, "It's not our hardest moments that defines us, it's how we rebuild and move forward. And it's our job as journalists to continue to tell that story too."

In addition to breaking news, Joy has a passion for human interest stories. Whether it is a knitting circle making emotional support chickens, or an old-fashioned candy maker, you'll see her highlighting humanity in ways that make us see our neighbors differently.

Joy's 25 years in television have taken her all over the country. From Iowa, to Alabama, Ohio and California- she's covered hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and snowstorms. She's worn many hats in her career, not only as a reporter and correspondent but as a news anchor, producer, host, and consumer investigator on local and national programs. She even worked as a field producer covering the NBA & NFL for almost a decade.

In addition to working for CBS LA, Joy has also worked for CBS Network and CBS Newspath as a correspondent, and she still reports national stories from time to time.

She spent time growing up in West Covina and Irvine, but moved to Kansas in High School and calls Lawrence, KS "home." She is an avid fan of her alma mater, The University of Kansas, Jayhawks. And frequently volunteers at high school and college fairs to sit at the recruiting tables.

She is an avid fiction reader who loves local coffee shops and talking to strangers. She raises monarch butterflies and is proud that her cat has more followers than she does on social media.