Cincinnatians who click on the television and tune into the 5, 6 or 11 p.m. news on Channel 5 are certain to recognize the smiling face of Sheree Paolello.

Paolello serves as the head anchor of WLWT and is sometimes even referred to as the “Queen of Cincinnati.” In a profession where many anchors jump from city to city in pursuit of better opportunities, Paolello has remained at Channel 5 for more than 20 years. 

She has covered everything from the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 to Dayton’s mass shooting in 2019 and more recently spoke with Northern Kentucky mothers who had lost children to suicide. 

Paolello’s journey began on Cincinnati’s West Side, where she was raised by her father. By middle school, she had lived in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. From an early age, she was familiar with hard work and perseverance, values instilled by her father, who put himself through night school to provide for his family.

“I always just like to say to people that I just came from humble beginnings,” Paolello said. “He taught us work hard, no excuses. If you want something, go for it.”

She attended East Central High School in St. Leon, Ind. As the first in her family to pursue a four-year college degree, Paolello was unsure how she would afford it.

A tuition reciprocity agreement at Northern Kentucky University allowed some Indiana residents, like Paolello, to pay in-state tuition. That’s when NKU became her clear choice. With flexible class schedules and the ability to commute, NKU offered the affordability and accessibility she needed. 

Paolello majored in radio and television with a minor in journalism. She joined the cheerleading squad and took an internship at Channel 9. To make ends meet, she worked as a waitress and bartender while attending college. The long hours and balancing act paid off, and she graduated from NKU in 1996.

“I will be honest with you, I don’t know that I would have finished college if I wasn’t at NKU,” Paolello said. “I needed the smaller classroom. I needed a professor that I wasn’t intimidated to go ask a question.”

When it came to her career plans, Paolello joked she always thought she was better suited for radio because of her tomboy nature. 

“On social media, I always have a ball cap on, no makeup. When I’m outside of work, I am a tomboy,” Paoelello said. “So I didn’t think I wanted to worry about what I look like every day.”

But the Cincinnati native knew she was destined to be a reporter who would fight for the underdog and share people’s stories. So her job pursuit began.

“I must have sent out about 100 resume tapes—because back then you sent out like big reels,” Paolello recalled. “I did not get one call back…not one. And I was devastated.”

After her roommate suggested she start with a job behind the camera, Paolello fixed her focus on the newly-launched morning show at FOX19. The NKU grad called the station and left a voicemail for the executive producer every Tuesday morning. That went on for two months.

“Then one day she finally called me, and she was like, ‘If you get down here, I might have a job for you.’ So I put on my best TJ Maxx suit, and I went down there and I got the job,” Paolello said.

She started out making $12,000 a year and clocking in at 11 p.m. After her shift at FOX19, Paolello would go to her “real job” where she waitressed to make enough money to pay the bills.

After a year, she got a job offer to appear on television in Wisconsin. Paolello recalled how her father drove her to the interview in the midst of a blizzard. When she came out of the interview elated to have received an offer, it was her dad who gave her a reality check. 

“They were gonna pay me like $14,000 a year,” Paolello said. “The news director was like, ‘You’re hired, and don’t worry if you need to make a little extra money. The main anchor works at Pizza Hut, so you can work at Pizza Hut in your spare time.’”

She decided based on the advice of her father and her producer at FOX19 to decline the Wisconsin job offer. 

Instead, Paolello spent time working as a crime reporter in South Bend, Ind., Dayton and Charlotte. 

In 2002, she got a call from the news director at WLWT. She took a position as a reporter, thinking she might stay for a two-year contract and then head to New York or Chicago.

But when Channel 5 kept promoting her and she decided she wanted to start a family, she stayed in the Queen City. 

“I love this job today as much as I did when I was 22,” Paolello said.

Her lifelong connection to Cincinnati shapes how she approaches the news. While many reporters frequently move from city to city, she knows the community firsthand: the history, the neighborhoods and the issues that matter most.

“When you get into being a journalist, you better start understanding the community,” Paolello said. “I know Cincinnati. I know the history. I know about the race riots that happened, and I know different things that have happened in the past that I can use in my everyday reporting or anchoring.”

Her commitment extends beyond familiarity. She also urges other journalists, especially those new to the region, to approach their work with compassion and empathy. 

“What might just be a news story to us one day is typically somebody’s worst moment in their life,” she said. 

For Paolello, staying objective is just as important. In an era of polarized news, she prides herself on fairness.

“There is no greater kind of honor than when I get a nasty email from both sides saying ‘Oh, we know you’re a Trumpster’ or ‘Oh my gosh, you’re such a lib,’” Paolello joked. “Well, I must be doing something right.”

Whether uncovering medical malpractice, raising money for families in need or amplifying voices that would otherwise go unheard, she believes in the power of journalism to make a difference. 

“I always say to people, my job is not to give you the news you want. My job is to give you information and you make a decision,” Paolello said.

WLWT News Director Jeff Benscoter sees Paolello’s dedication to both people and the region as a quality that sets her apart. 

“She’s a great leader,” Benscoter said. “She loves this place, and I mean the whole place: the city, the people and everything. It just really feels like this is her home, and I think in journalism that helps.”

When breaking news hits, Paolello is right there in the midst of the story. When a mass shooting happened five years ago in Dayton and nine people lost their lives, Paolello was there with a heart for the victims and their families.

“She went up there and anchored all day long, and she talked to victims, families and people,” Benscoter said. “I just think that’s really kind of a moment where it’s like—that’s Sheree.”

Beyond her role as an anchor, Paolello is known for mentoring new colleagues, regardless of their experience level.

“She would never ask anybody to do something that she wouldn’t do,” Benscoter said. “She’ll help [new reporters] get settled. If they have questions, she will answer them.” 

Paolello’s longevity at WLWT is no accident. Benscoter noted that while many journalists move from city to city, she recognized early on the power of building trust in one place. 

“Sheree could work anywhere. She could work in any city, but she chooses to work here,” he said.

One of the biggest reasons why Paolello decided to remain in Cincinnati was her family. She is a mom to three boys, which is the role she is most proud of.

When she had her first son, she was still a beat reporter at WLWT.

“I remember thinking, ‘I hope I love this kid as much as I love my dogs,’” Paolello laughed. “And then I had him and fell in love and realized, oh my gosh, I want to be just as good of a mom as I am a news reporter, news anchor.”

She is also married to her co-anchor at Channel 5, Mike Dardis. 

Dardis came to WLWT more than 12 years ago after working in Philadelphia and Seattle among other places. He joked his relationship with Paolello was sort of an “arranged marriage,” as he was brought in to audition as her co-anchor.

“Little did I know when I started anchoring with her more than 12 years ago that I’d end up driving to work with her, living with her and married to her, but that’s what happened,” Dardis said.

The co-anchors got married in 2019 and talked about what it takes to balance their professional and personal lives.

“I think the fact that we’re both long-time veterans in the business, it really helps that balance,” Dardis said. “I also feel because we met so late in life—on the personal side—every day we say we’re making up for lost time.”

In a society that is becoming more adverse to journalists and legacy news stations, Dardis said Paolello has shown him the value of building relationships and showing compassion.

While the media landscape is changing, Paolello is confident journalism isn’t going anywhere.

Whether it be breaking news like a car crash or a neighborhood burglary—or more positive news like a new small business or city-wide charity—Paolello said people need a local news outlet to turn to.

The way people consume news may be evolving, but the anchor is certain journalism’s role in keeping communities informed isn’t fading, it’s just adapting.

“I do think that there will always be a need for local news, and people will want to trust the people who give them that news,” Paolello said.