KARL BOHNAK

The 2024 election brought many new faces to Michigan’s legislature.

Four of them say they plan to use backgrounds in media and journalism in their approach to lawmaking and politics.

They come from districts ranging from the Upper Peninsula to metro Detroit.

One is Ron Robinson, a Republican from Utica, who currently works as a real estate agent and owns a photography company. He said he plans to close the business with the exception of handling a few jobs.

Robinson said he spent 20 years in radio broadcasting and some time in television.

His transition from journalism to politics was sudden, and he said it “just kind of happened.”

Robinson said his media background made him “sensible and fair,” traits that he said will play a part in his political approach.

“It’s made me someone who likes to look at all 17,000 sides. I’m just a curious person, but mostly I’m pragmatic,” Robinson said. “That’s a skill that I’ve developed over the years.”

Additionally, he said his professional background helps him communicate and interact well with different kinds of people.

“As a reporter, I’ve seen how hard it was for someone to beat an incumbent, even an unpopular incumbent,” Robinson said. “So I figured I wasn’t going to be able to outspend my incumbent, so how was I going to win?”

He ousted Democratic Rep. Nate Shannon of Sterling Heights.

“I just knocked on doors and I got to know the people and went to listen to what they cared about. All things being equal, I think the reason I won this election was because I knocked on doors and went and met the people of my district,” he said.

In the Upper Peninsula, Karl Bohnak also benefited from his media background in winning the election.

Bohnak is a Republican from Negaunee who defeated Democratic incumbent Jenn Hill of Marquette.

Bohnak was a television meteorologist and spent more than 30 years in broadcasting in the U.P. He started his media career as a radio announcer and went back to school and earned a degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I had very good name recognition in the district that I was running in. I was a household name because I had been on television for so long,” he said.

Bohnak said he was encouraged to run for office after being fired from his meteorology position in 2021. He said the corporate owners of his station mandated that employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and he refused.

The ability to speak clearly and concisely was one of the most valuable skills he learned from his time in media and will be useful in politics, he said.

Bohnak, who co-wrote three books on weather and weather history in the U.P., said that experience of looking at patterns and statistics will give him a leg up in the Legislature in deciding what may work and what may not.

Nancy Jenkins-Arno has spent more time in politics than in media but still uses some of her journalism skills. Jenkins-Arno is a Republican from Lenawee County and trounced Democratic rival John Dahlgren of Clinton. She previously served in the House from 2011 until 2016, when she was term-limited.

In 2022, voters changed the state constitution to allow representatives and senators to serve up to 12 years, enabling her to run again.

She is currently the director of alumni and development for the Hudson Area Schools.

Jenkins-Arno, who earned her bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from Evangel University in Missouri, never worked for a news organization.

However, she said she was able to use what she learned in studying journalism in her other positions, such as writing articles for Michigan Family Forum and newsletters for the Christian Family Center.

“I have an alumni magazine that we just started three years ago. I put that together from start to finish. I design it, write it, do everything, the whole nine yards,” said Jenkins-Arno. “I enjoy that because that allows me to use all the skills that I have had from journalism.”

She said it influences her approach by knowing how to do research and asking in-depth questions. It also helps her in writing letters and responding to constituents.

She transitioned into politics after years of interest in the field. She earned her master’s in political science and became involved in local, state and national campaigns.

“I think journalism is one of those majors or professions that are solid for whatever direction you want to go in because you have those skills that you can use anywhere,” Jenkins-Arno said.

“It’s interesting being able to talk about it and understand that my background will be helpful to me in my role as a legislator going forward,” she said.

Jennifer Wortz, a Republican from Quincy Township in Branch County, earned a journalism degree from Michigan State University and now manages Central Grace Farm.

Wortz, who beat Democrat Don Hicks, said she has limited journalism experience and practiced the profession for only a short time before returning to education.

“I think journalism needs to be nonbiased and present facts and allow people to come to their own conclusions and opinions,” Wortz said.

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Capital News Service is a wire service based out of the Michigan State University School of Journalism.