NJ PBS has announced the three journalists who will expand its regional reporting capacity when news programming officially launches on Oct. 1.
The reporting staff now includes Sean Sullivan, a reporter who will cover North Jersey; Scott Minshall, a reporter who will cover South Jersey; and Asha McKenzie, a news contributor who will cover Central Jersey and the Statehouse.
These hires build on the leadership and staff appointments recently made by NJ PBS. Montclair State University was named the new operator of the four television stations licensed to the State of New Jersey as of July 1, 2026; the University will take over full control of programming and the daily newscast from current operator WNET on Oct. 1, 2026.
"These hires reflect the kind of NJ PBS we’re building: deeply rooted in communities across the state, committed to strong local journalism and equipped to tell New Jersey’s stories across platforms," said Ashlee Smith, general manager of NJ PBS. “We’re excited to bring together this talented team as we prepare to launch on Oct. 1.”
Sullivan will cover northern New Jersey, and issues with statewide impact, on air, online and on social platforms. He spent 15 years at NJ.com and The Star-Ledger as a reporter and videographer, covering local news, criminal justice and the Statehouse across three administrations. His watchdog reporting on police use of force, prison sexual abuse and wrongful convictions changed laws and spurred government inquiries.
Minshall, a South Jersey native, returns to New Jersey to cover the state’s southern counties. He was most recently an investigative reporter at WIAT-TV in Birmingham, Alabama. Before that, he spent two years at WZMQ-TV in Michigan, where his reporting led to the return of more than $500,000 in misspent tax dollars.
McKenzie will report from central New Jersey and the Statehouse. An Emmy Award-winning journalist, she spent a decade with News 12 Networks, including eight years as morning anchor for News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn, and most recently anchored mornings for News 12 Connecticut and reported for News 12 New Jersey. She has also worked as a freelance anchor for Cheddar News and taught as an adjunct professor at Montclair State's College of Communication and Media.
