Emmy Award winner Denise Koch is one of Baltimore’s most respected and recognizable broadcast journalists. For more than two decades, she has been a familiar presence on WJZ-TV’s anchor desk, covering stories throughout Maryland, across the country, and around the world.
During her distinguished career, Koch has reported from China, West Africa, and Jamaica and covered major events ranging from Baltimore’s pursuit of an NFL team to the Ravens’ two Super Bowl title runs. Her reporting has earned numerous honors, including an Emmy Award, a Maryland State Teachers Award, a National Angels Award, and recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Koch’s introduction to WJZ viewers was on “Evening Magazine,” where she was known as “Daring Denise,” tackling sports from hang gliding to scuba. She joined the newsroom as a lifestyle reporter, reviewing plays and films and writing about the arts and creative side of life.
A California native, Koch attended UCLA, graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, and earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Before beginning her broadcast career, she worked in theater and taught at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Michigan; and the University of Wisconsin.
Koch also has been deeply involved in the Baltimore community, serving with numerous arts, education, and nonprofit organizations, including the Howard County Arts Council and United Way of Central Maryland, and is a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Institute of Baltimore, a panel of women dedicated to working for gender equity.