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The Mother-Daughter Team Working in STEM at CBS Colorado
By Raetta Holdman
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Introducing Girls to Careers in STEM
For Girls & Science, CBS Colorado has been sharing inspiring stories of women working in STEM fields. The idea is to introduce girls to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Engineering at CBS News Colorado
Karyn Diesburg works in the technical operations center at CBS News Colorado, and her daughter Ashley is a newscast director. Karyn has worked at the station for over 30 years, and Ashley started part-time in 2019. Together, they form a mother-daughter technical team.
Starting Behind the Scenes
Karyn initially started working in front of the cameras when she was in high school. However, she soon realized she was more interested in what was happening behind the scenes. “I found myself correcting them live on the air, looking through a window and telling them how to run the equipment,” she recalled. “This was live TV, and that’s when I decided I’m much better behind the scenes than I will ever be in front of that camera.” Her passion led her to Denver, where she now makes sure reporters in the field have the support they need to clearly report their stories, even in the most chaotic times, like breaking news, big storms, and election nights.
Ashley’s Journey
Ashley works with a team to take the material from the technical operations center and a producer who has written and put in a vision for a newscast. She has to tell a series of cameras as well as media and live sources what to do in a process called “coding.” But she started as a floor director, where she ran teleprompter for anchors as well as make sure they were clear on cameras and what was happening next. During the pandemic, there was an opportunity to learn how to direct, and now she does the morning show.
Overcoming Naysayers
Ashley faced some naysayers because she started as a floor director when she was 20 and didn’t have any experience in TV. “I was even told by people I was never going to be a director,” she said. “I took every single opportunity that was handed to me to direct, which is what I really wanted to do.”
A Message for Girls Everywhere
Ashley has a firm message for girls everywhere: “Do it. If you put your mind to it, think that you can accomplish things even if all the odds are against you, you still go for it. Even if you don’t feel like you fit the mold, make your own mold, do whatever you want.”
Supporting Ashley
Karyn is proud of Ashley’s journey, which actually began on stage before making it to local television. “I didn’t know this was the path she was going to take,” Karyn said. “I never groomed her to become this wonderful director.”
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