A new chapter has taken priority over a familiar career in local television news. After spending several weeks away following the birth of her son, a CBS Texas journalist has decided that returning to the newsroom is no longer the right move for her family.
KWTX News 10’s Madison Herber explains why she has been away, announces exit
Madison Herber announced via a Facebook post that she would not return to KWTX News 10 after seven years in television journalism. She spent the past 12 weeks caring for her newborn, born Aug. 4, and said the decision followed considerable thought and prayer. “Time is already moving so fast,” she wrote, explaining that she did not want to miss precious moments with her son.
The choice carries mixed emotions for Herber, who described her work as a calling rather than simply a job. She will miss reporting, but she now sees motherhood as the next chapter in that commitment. “This job has been a ministry for me. Now, my ministry is motherhood,” she wrote in her announcement.
Throughout her journalism career, Herber reported on some of the region’s most difficult events, from fatal shootings and political demonstrations to military deployments, tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
One investigation required a year of persistent reporting after families discovered that a cemetery owner had taken payment for gravestones that were never ordered. Her work ultimately helped secure full refunds for those affected (via Chron).
Herber saw the community’s big heart in action when viewers stepped up to help fire victims, families battling medical hardships and patients waiting for organ transplants. Her favorite annual event was KWTX’s annual Food for Families fundraiser, which brought in millions of dollars.
Herber got her start at KETK in Tyler while pursuing a multimedia journalism degree at the University of Texas at Tyler. She worked her way through several newsroom roles, operating cameras and teleprompters before taking on production, editing and reporting duties. Her time at the station included a major moment during February 2021’s winter freeze, when she helped co-produce a seven-hour nonstop newscast that went on to win KETK a Lone Star Emmy.
