DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wanda Doerner, a former Channel 7 editor who worked at the station for more than four decades and was beloved by her colleagues in the news industry, has passed away at 71.
During her 42-year career at WXYZ, she mastered all of the changes in television news editing — from film to tape to Final Cut Pro and everything in between.
Watch our video tribute of Wanda below:
Wanda played a key role in telling some of the most significant stories of our time, and she was always a steady leader in our newsroom who never let us down.
She joined Channel 7 as a part-time playback operator in September 1981 and was soon hired full time.
Over those 42 years at Channel 7, she worked on many news special series with Jim Herrington, Jerry Hodak and Mike Holfeld. She often worked with World News Tonight reporter Ron Claiborne when Detroit was in the national spotlight.
Wanda is a two-time Emmy Award winner, three-time finalist in the New York International Film Festival awards and a UPI Award Winner for Best Editing. Wanda retired in 2023.
Even in retirement, Wanda was always bringing people together and never missed a chance to see current and former WXYZ colleagues, often with a camera in tow, so she could capture the joy of those moments.
She will be greatly missed.
