Katie Bane and the Work of Leading With Intention
- The Next 100
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
In a newsroom defined by the relentless churn of the day’s events, Katie Bane is slowing down long enough to build deeper, more intentional relationships with the people she leads. As Assistant News Director at KETV, Bane oversees a large, multi‑platform operation in one of the most complex eras of journalism. Yet the heart of her leadership is simple — creating space for connection and growth.
It’s a shift that has influenced everything from how she communicates to how she invests in her team.
Leading with Empathy
A recent Greater Omaha Chamber leadership experience helped Bane explore the value of building deeper, more empathetic relationships with her managers.
She now meets monthly, one‑on‑one, with each of her six direct reports. “I want them to know I respect you as a person. I want to make sure I talk to you as a person,” she says,
These conversations, Bane explains, can include anything from personal challenges to career goals. What matters is the intentionality, the act of pausing long enough to check in.
“I’ve really been working on empathy for most of my career … this is the next step in my goal of being empathetic in my new role,” she says.
A Leader Who Emerged by Doing the Work
Immediately following college, Bane joined KETV First News. She stepped in, learned quickly and grew under the guidance of seasoned reporters, anchors and managers who recognized her potential. Hearst invested in her talent, as well, sending her to three different producer academies at pivotal moments in her career, first as a new producer, then as an Executive Producer and again when she was promoted to Assistant News Director.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes. “I’ve tried to learn from all of those mistakes,” she says, adding she is "always learning, always adjusting, always moving forward."
Integrity at the Center
In journalism, the risk of speed overshadowing depth is real. That's why Bane returns again and again to the integrity of understanding an issue before it reaches the public.
For Bane, integrity is a daily practice. It shows up in the questions she asks: Do we understand the whole picture? Who is affected? Why does this matter now? She wants people to know what’s happening in their neighborhoods, but she also wants her team to grasp the scope of a situation before they report it. As she puts it, a lead story isn’t just about prominence; it’s about relevance and impact.
At a time when trust in media is fragile, Bane’s commitment to accuracy and context offers a stabilizing force, a reminder that journalism, at its best, is an act of service.
The Complexity of Modern News
Bane is candid about the demands facing today’s journalists. The job is no longer about producing a single story for a single newscast. Reporters may need to turn versions for the 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. shows, create a social media component and write a web article — all while navigating breaking news, community expectations and the emotional weight of the stories they cover.
“It’s very complicated,” she says. “It can be very rewarding, but it can also be very stressful.”
Part of her role is helping people grow within that complexity, identifying strengths and supporting career development. If someone is a strong writer, but needs help with visual storytelling, she works with them. If someone is ready for more responsibility, she encourages them to reach for it.
Her leadership is both operational and developmental. She is building a newsroom that meets the demands of modern journalism, while also nurturing the people who make it possible.
Advice for Emerging Leaders
Bane believes growth often begins with how a person handles their own missteps. In her view, mistakes aren’t disqualifying. “Some people get very held back by mistakes,” she says. “It’s important to see it, to learn from it and then to move on.”
Her guidance to emerging leaders: Stay curious, stay visible and stay willing to stretch. She urges people to take opportunities when they appear, to ask questions and to apply for roles that feel just a little out of reach.
Volunteering for projects, raising your hand for new responsibilities and letting managers see your interest can open doors that might otherwise stay closed, she says. It’s the same approach that propelled her from producer to executive producer to assistant news director, a pattern of embracing the next challenge, even when the path was less-than-clear.
A Deep Sense of Place
The region Bane covers is also the region that holds her. Family keeps her rooted here, but so does a genuine affection for the place itself.
“Omaha has this big city feel, but it’s also very small town in its own way,” she says. There are skyscrapers and corporate headquarters, but also small towns with stories still waiting to be told. There’s a food scene that rivals larger metros and a culture of generosity that feels distinctly local.
For Bane, “Nebraska Nice” isn’t a slogan. It's something she sees daily in the way people support each other and celebrate the community’s successes.
The Work Ahead
Journalism may be evolving, but Bane’s leadership offers a steadying presence. She’s building a newsroom where people feel seen, supported and challenged — one that reflects the complexity of the community it serves — and she’s shaping it with the understanding that the most meaningful work often begins with taking the time to connect.