I have been a longtime listener of Insight. Going from a CapRadio Evergreen Member to now being part of a well-established, deep commitment to thoughtful local journalism is a true ‘pinch me’ moment in a place I love to call home.
Vicki Gonzalez is CapRadio's new Insight host. Learn a little more about Vicki and what she will brings to CapRadio.
A Brief Background
Vicki has been a journalist since 2007. She joined NBC’s Sacramento affiliate KCRA in 2016, where her reporting included daily assignments, special reports, breaking news and a documentary. Born in Los Angeles, Vicki is a California native and proud of her roots. Her abuelos (grandmother and grandfather) are from Guadalajara, Mexico, her grandmother from Kobe, Japan and her English grandfather was born and raised in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and a member of Mensa International.
Reporting Awards & Accolades
In 2020, Vicki’s reporting earned a Regional Edward R. Murrow for the documentary Return to Paradise, which follows four resilient families for a year after the Camp Fire — the deadliest wildfire in California history.
In 2019, Vicki won two Regional Emmys, including one for the half-hour special Hope, Humanity and Housing, which looks at the health disparities of affordable housing and those experiencing homelessness.
In 2018, Vicki’s reporting on the Oroville Dam spillway crisis, Santa Rosa wildfire, Las Vegas mass shooting and the transgender youth series, Now I Am Me, was part of KCRA 3’s National Edward R. Murrow award for News Excellence.
Get To Know Vicki
You’ve lived and worked throughout California, what draws you to our region?
I could not live in a better place. And I can't emphasize that enough. It is such a great community, and I love being outside. I love biking around town. I love the trees. I love the farm to fork scene. I love that you really can go in any direction from 30 minutes to an hour and you can hit a new hiking trail.
I'm very much an outdoors person. I love going backpacking and camping and exploring the seemingly never-ending rivers and lakes. And of course, I love Tahoe. But there's always new things to explore in Sacramento. It's a great hub for the outdoors, for me and also for food. I love eating.
Overall, I think it's an incredibly vibrant area. In the short five years that I have been here, I have seen it evolve and grow and and really come into its own, come into a stride. I like being a part of that, I like showcasing that and I like helping other people get excited about that.
What makes a good interview?
A good interview helps others and myself make sense of issues that are not simple. They're nuanced and they're complicated. And there are times when they're just flat-out uncomfortable, but they're still important.
A good interview sifts through those nuances and those layers to get some clarity. Pretty much a lot of issues aren't black or white and don't have a simple answer. And you want to leave with a better understanding. Even if you don't necessarily agree with those viewpoints, you're going to leave with a better understanding.
What kind of music do you like?
I really am pretty much eclectic. I mean, I'm from Los Angeles. My mom was actually the lead singer of a heavy metal band in the ‘80s and played along Sunset Boulevard. So I grew up to a lot of ‘80s music.
My mom loves Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. My dad loves the Rolling Stones. But really, I'm pretty eclectic. Living in Los Angeles, I listened to KCRW a lot. I love being introduced to new acts. I love having friends that like different music and introducing me to new songs.
The best concert I've ever been to was Rage Against the Machine at Coachella. That was like a decade ago or over a decade ago, in Coachella's early days. It was the best concert hands down. But then the second best concert I've been to is Arcade Fire. So it can go from one end of the spectrum to the other. I just like being introduced to new music, and I love live performances.
What are you excited about as the new host of Insight?
I absolutely love calling Sacramento home and the broader Northern California region my home. I love being a journalist, a local journalist. That is the most important thing to me professionally and personally. This is more than a job or career. You can call it an extra appendage. It is ingrained in me. It's a part of me. And I really am passionate about local journalism.
It's important because I live here. I am your neighbor. I am your customer. I am the person in the checkout. I’m just like everyone else. And that's never lost on me. Right before I'm about to go on a broadcast or go live, I'm thinking about the people that I can't see or even the people that I don't know because I really care about community.
About Insight
Insight empowers communities to navigate their daily lives with a sense of place and connection, providing listeners with deep contextual background and understanding on breaking news, big events, politics and culture. As a live, daily show, it elevates diverse voices and local perspectives through conversations with community leaders and advocates, local and national experts, artists and more.
Send Vicki A Question Or Comment
Contact Vicki Gonzalez
