Every weeknight Channel 7 Action News viewers in Metro Detroit can find JoAnne Purtan telling them… “Don’t WasteYour Money.” She’s our consumer reporter who helps viewers find the good deals and avoid the bad ones. JoAnne warns people about the latest scams making the rounds and the common sense changes they can make in their life to put more money back in their pocket.
Of all the reporting she’s done in her career, she says her “Don’t Waste Your Money” segments are the most gratifying because they have a direct impact on people struggling to make it in this tough economy.
JoAnne joined WXYZ in 1998. She co-anchored Action News This Morning for 4 years and spent many years reporting on health issues. Before coming home to Detroit, JoAnne worked as an anchor/reporter at WRGB TV in Albany, New York. She’s been nominated for 8 Emmy awards during her career.
Working at WXYZ is a dream come true for JoAnne. Her father, radio personality Dick Purtan, worked at WXYZ radio when JoAnne was a little girl. She and her five sisters used to come to work with him on Saturday mornings, and JoAnne would run downstairs to the newsroom and pretend she was doing the news! “I just knew from the time I was a little girl that this is what I wanted to do,” JoAnne says.
JoAnne’s deep roots here make her passionate about this community. She’s a big supporter of the Salvation Army. She also hosts part of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon each year with her Dad, and volunteers her time helping a number of local charities with their events. When she first came back to Detroit, JoAnne spent time with Literacy Volunteers of America teaching a Detroit mother how to read. In addition, she and her family aim to raise awareness about ovarian cancer; it’s her own mother’s battle that has JoAnne passionate about helping that cause. Her parents set up The Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Research Fund after her mom was diagnosed in January of 1997. “It’s a miracle she’s still here with us today,” JoAnne says. “Our family is dedicated to raising awareness about the disease and the money needed for a more effective early detection screening tool and better treatment so other families don’t have to go through what we’ve endured.”
JoAnne graduated from Michigan State University, where she met her husband Eric. They have two children, Lauren and Adam. JoAnne recounts the story of when she and her family were talking about allowances. Her young son said “Mommy always tells us to waste our money!” JoAnne says “We quickly told him he was missing an important word!”
If you have any stories or questions for JoAnne email her at jpurtan@wxyz.com.
