New Governor Spotlight: Faith Sidlow

By Nazy Javid

  1. Name? Faith Sidlow
  2. Current job title? Associate Professor and Department Chair, Department of Media, Communications and Journalism
  3. Where do you work? California State University, Fresno (since 2009).
  4. If you went to school, where and what did you study? San Diego State University: Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Political Science (BA); California State University, Fresno: Mass Communication and Journalism (MA)
  5. Where else have you worked? KPBS-FM 1982-1985; KNX 1070 1983-1985; KSEE-TV 1985-2013; Fresno City College 1989-1991 and 2008-2010.
  6. What other job titles have you had in your career? Assignment editor, producer, reporter, consumer reporter, news anchor, board operator, radio reporter
  7. How did you decide on your profession? I love to write. From a young age I wanted to be a foreign correspondent. My parents always had the news on in the house, and it was part of my life from an early age. 
  8. If you didn’t work in Television, Arts and Sciences, what would you be doing? I can’t imagine doing anything else. Now that I’m not on the air, I’m teaching. But it’s still television, arts and sciences. 
  9. What do you enjoy most about our industry? The storytelling: Being able to find out why things happen, what makes them work, and then tell a story about it through the eyes of a personal character. 
  10. What do you think is the key to professional success? Curiosity and persistence. 
  11. When do you wake up on a workday? 7 a.m. On a weekend? 7 a.m. (I have dogs).
  12. Any awards, recognition or accolades you’re proud of? I won a Golden Mike in 2015, two years after I left television. It was an award for a radio piece on did on Honor Flight about WWII and Korean War veterans traveling to Washington D.C. to see the monuments. I’ve also had three Emmy® nominations, and one of my stories, Extreme Faith, won an Emmy® for editing. I didn’t put my name in on that entry, but it was a story I was very proud of. It was about a group of physicians who played in a string quartet. They hauled their instruments up Half Dome in Yosemite and played a concert at the top. It was a beautiful piece. And, of course, I’m extremely proud of being inducted into the Silver Circle Class of 2012. 
  13. Where did you grow up? Orinda (Bay Area)
  14. Tell us about your loved ones. I was married for 18 years to the love of my life who died earlier this year. We have a blended family of two daughters and two sons. My daughter, Mallory, is a dietitian in Portland; my stepdaughter Emily is a family therapist in Simi Valley; my stepson Tim is a hardware designer at Google and my stepson Marc is a teaching assistant for special ed.
  15. Do you have any pets? Yes. Two dogs (see photo): a golden retriever, Satchmo and chocolate lab, Oscar.
  16. Favorite season and why? Spring and fall. Actually, any season except summer, which is brutal in Fresno. I love all of the flowers that bloom in the spring, and I love the fall leaves.
  17. Are you a risktaker or do you play it safe? In the middle. When I worked in TV, I was a risktaker. But now that I’m older and wiser, I play it safer.
  18. What is something random about you? I was on KTVU’s Romper Room with Nancy Besst and Capt. Satellite with Bob March back in the 1960s.
  19. Favorite nonprofit to volunteer with? Liga (Flying Doctors of Mercy) and Hinds Hospice.
  20. What makes you sad? The loss of my husband who died from mesothelioma on Jan. 29, 2022.
  21. What makes you happy? My dogs and my family.
  22. Who is your hero? My husband.
  23. What motivates you? Deadlines.
  24. How do you motivate others? With empathy and compassion.
  25. Favorite inspirational quote? “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein.