A Lot of Experience Walking out the Door in Seattle

Deborah Horne, a reporter for KIRO 7 in Seattle for more than three decades, has announced she will retire on October 8. Horne has been a fixture in Pacific Northwest television news for 34 years at the Cox Media Group-owned station.

Before her tenure in Seattle, Horne worked for 10 years in Providence, Rhode Island, after starting her career in newspaper journalism. Her reporting style was often characterized by a focus on marginalized communities and holding government officials accountable.

Throughout her distinguished career, Horne interviewed a wide range of subjects, from civil rights leader Rosa Parks to members of Seattle's unhoused population. She later expressed regret for not fully grasping the historical significance of her conversation with Parks at the time, a reflection she said deepened her approach to storytelling.

Horne’s career also included a brief foray into film, where she played the role of a television talk show host alongside Robin Williams in the 2009 movie World’s Greatest Dad.

Horne, who graduated as valedictorian of her Virginia high school in 1971, has spoken about the challenges she faced as a Black woman entering the journalism field during the civil rights era. She said those early experiences with prejudice helped shape the resilience that defined her career.

In reflecting on her work, Horne stated her journalistic mission was to “shine a light on places where the light has not shown” and to tell stories that connect people across divides.