Crawford said working in TV journalism had been a goal of hers since she was 10. And in that respect, “my career has truly been a dream come true,” she said. “My 17 years in this business have taken me around the country and introduced me to some of the most important people in my life.” Crawford said her work has taken her to various parts of the country, including Boston for the past several years. “From presidential debates to rocket launches to college football championships ... I’ve witnessed historic, thrilling, and just plain fun stories and events,” Crawford said. She also nodded to a range of difficult stories she had reported on. “I’ve also covered the most devastating things a person can imagine ... mass shootings, wildfires, hurricanes, and other tragedies,” Crawford said. “Meeting and interviewing those survivors is something I will never forget.” Crawford didn’t specify her next job in the announcement but suggested it won’t be in television news. “I will miss so many people and things about this industry ... deciding to switch careers was not easy,” Crawford said. “But I’ll be honest ... it’s time for a change.
The news can be intense and heavy, and I’m ready to take a bit of break from that.” She’s also ready to savor what life has to offer outside the confines of the daily news cycle. “I’m also looking forward to a new career that allows me more flexibility in my personal life,” Crawford said. “I’m VERY excited to spend Christmas at home and to shut off that 3 a.m. alarm for good. (Morning coffee with my husband, Callum, and Luna? Yes, please.)” The local TV news market has seen a string of high-profile departures in recent years, including Beth Germano and Christina Hager of WBZ and former WFXT-TV (Channel 25) anchors Vanessa Welch and Elizabeth Hopkins. Liam Martin, a former WBZ morning anchor, spoke extensively about the toll the job took on his mental health when he left the station in 2024. A survey conducted at the end of 2024 by the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University found that after several years of increases, full-time local TV news employment fell 2.9 percent nationally from a year before.
While the authors cautioned that the drop could be inflated due to a decline in responses, they said there was no doubt there was an overall decrease. In her announcement, Crawford said she was proud of her journalistic career. “It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to the news directors, colleagues, viewers, friends, and family who made it possible for me to chase this dream,” she said. Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected].