Behind the Scenes with Lori Matsukawa

When award-winning KING 5 news anchor Lori Matsukawa was a little girl growing up in the tropical wonderland of Hawaii, she dreamed of becoming a piano teacher.

“Hawaii was a fabulous place to grow up,” says Lori. She was raised in Aiea (near Honolulu), along with her two younger sisters. “My parents, being educators, wanted the best for their daughters. They didn’t have a lot of money to give us things, but they decided to invest wisely in experiences.”

Experiences, however valuable, don’t cover tuition and Lori worried about how to pay for college. Little did she know that her life would take a 180 degree turn when at the age of 17 she competed in the Miss Teenage America Pageant.

“I was looking for scholarship money and a friend suggested I try out for Miss Teenage Honolulu. My friend said, ‘Hey, if you win you get a scholarship and the best thing is there is no bathing suit competition and so you have a chance!’ ” All kidding aside, she entered with an eye on that scholarship.

Lori Matsukawa first became Miss Honolulu, and then on November 24, 1973 in Fort Worth, Texas, she was crowned Miss Teenage America.

“It was a terrific experience. I got to meet young women from all over the country. I spent half the time traveling as Miss Teenage America, and the other half was life as normal… go to school, wash the dishes – my regular life.”

Becoming Miss Teenage America opened up life’s possibilities for Lori.

“I was interviewed everywhere I went and I started thinking maybe this could be a career for me.” The job of a reporter seemed like a lot of fun. “They get paid to go to the Kentucky Derby and talk to people!”

Because she was still working as Miss Teenage America, she missed her first quarter at Stanford University and yet still managed to graduate Phi Beta Kappa one quarter early.

“At the time I thought I would become a print journalist,” reflects Lori. “I worked at the local paper in the summers.” Then her managing editor asked her if she ever thought of becoming a broadcast journalist.

With that encouragement, she applied for jobs at television stations as well as newspapers. “I sent out 100 letters of application and got two positive responses back. One was with a Los Angeles paper, and the other from a tiny station in Redding, California. I went with the TV station because you need to be young and energetic to carry your gear. I was excited to use the gear!” admits Lori. “I thought I would start with TV and move to print journalism when I was toothless and wrinkled,” she laughs. “I was in Redding for a year. I met my future husband there.”

Her husband, Larry Blackstock, had this to say about meeting Lori: “I was a new director at KRCR-TV in Redding. I had only been there about two months when the News Director invited Lori in for a job interview. She was a bright kid with a big smile… I was in the control room directing when they put her on the set for her interview. To my surprise, a few weeks later, there she was, hired on as the new station anchor/reporter! We started spending time together right from the beginning. It was easy to be with her. She was like a breath of fresh air.”

Their plan was to move up to bigger markets. “We decided to make a list of cities we wanted to apply to for the next job,” explains Larry. “Any cities on our two lists that overlapped were cities where we would apply.”

After a year in Redding, Lori moved to Portland, Oregon. “Then he moved up to Portland and got a job there, too,” says Lori. A year later Lori moved to KOMO-TV in Seattle.

“We commuted between the two cities for a year until I too, was hired at KOMO,” says Larry. “In part, because I grew up here, we decided this is a good place to stay and so we were married June 13, 1982. Lori liked that date because ‘13’ was her contestant number when she won Miss Teenage America.”

Larry adds, “She has always been a bit reluctant or slow to tell people about her Miss Teenage America days for fear of looking like she is self-centered or bragging. Perhaps because she was brought up in the casual, friendly and accepting environment of Hawaii, that is how she lives her life.”

One of Lori’s first stories after she moved to Seattle in 1980 was the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. She stayed at KOMO for over 2 years before moving to KING. “I’ve been at KING ever since. This is my 29th year,” says Lori.

“I’ve had some wonderful experiences,” she notes. “KING sent me to cover the Olympics in Vancouver and Salt Lake City. In 1997 I went with Governor Gary Locke on his first trip to China. It was exciting but exhausting – we worked around the clock.” Lori remembers carrying her tripod and running after the Governor on the Great Wall of China. During a break, she sat on the wall and fainted. “My coworker told me how lucky I was to slump forward instead of tumbling backwards over the Great Wall.” She filed live reports for NBC affiliates during the 50th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (and has a funny story to tell about how her cameraman was accidentally arrested while shooting a story there). Lori's personal favorite story was when she pulled 9-Gs in an F-16 in 1999.

Lori's parents Joe and Florence Matsukawa are on the left, her husband Larry Blackstock (right) is standing next their son Alex Blackstock, with Lori in the center. This photo was taken in 2009 on Alex's graduation day from Standford University.

Lori and Larry have one son, Alex, now grown and living in San Francisco, working as a software developer. She so valued her parents’ approach to educating through experiences that they raised Alex the same way. “As a family we did a lot of things together like camping, hiking, and traveling.” Traveling and enjoying outdoor activities still play a large part in their lives.

For the last eight years, Lori has focused on helping to establish the Japanese Cultural and Community Center in Seattle (www.jcccw.org), a project that holds a lot of meaning for her. “It has been an odyssey these past eight years. The Center is housed in a restored building that has served as a Japanese language school for 100 years.”

She also dedicates her time speaking at events and for organizations, especially those that serve families and children.

Life with Lori and her husband is always interesting. Larry built Northwest Cable News (the first ‘all-computer’ TV station in the world) and then consulted for other TV stations world-wide. He later took some time off to be a stay-at-home dad, which also allowed him time to get a Masters in Theology. Then his life took a dramatic turn.

“I’ve always done a lot of work in the church and had also become what the church calls a ‘Certified Lay Speaker,’ allowing me to fill in for preachers when they are sick or on vacation,” says Larry. He remembers the day when he was called to serve—“It was unexpected but clearly a calling. I was asked if I could fill in for a few months as a ‘white pastor’ in a ‘black church.’ A few months later the congregation asked if I could stay permanently.” He was unanimously voted in. “This is my third year there now” (Grace United Methodist Church in Seattle).

Lori is clearly proud of her husband and son, and continues to enjoy her job at KING. “I love the fact that I learn something new every day. I learn what matters to the people who live here. I love that.”

When asked if she has any “healthy aging” advice for Northwest Prime Time readers, Lori answers: “I encourage others to continue learning. Stay as active as possible, both physically and socially. Don’t become isolated. Take the time to do what you enjoy,” she advises. “And make time for your family. Lately I visit my parents as much as I can. They are still active and capable and I feel blessed they are doing fine. I tell my mom to stop climbing trees to pick the fruit!”

The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. Lori’s life is on course for continued meaning and adventure.

Lori Matsukawa currently co-anchors KING 5 News weeknights at 10 on KONG TV 6/16 and KING 5 News at 11 on KING 5.

This article appeared in the April 2012 issue of Northwest Prime Time, the Puget Sound region’s monthly publication celebrating life after 50.