SUA’s Journalism Class Gets a Special Visit from 13abc Anchors

News anchors Alexandria Manthey and Claire Mitchell spoke about their experiences in the newsroom and how they got there.

By Taylor Smith and Brianna Mikesell
November 25, 2025

TOLEDO, OH - On Monday, November 17, 13abc news anchors Alexandria (Alex) Manthey and Claire Mitchell visited Mr. Hehr’s block five Journalism class to talk about their experiences and challenges in the journalism field. 

Manthey, from Oregon, Ohio, majored in Journalism and minored in Public Relations at Kent State University. She eventually got an internship at WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio before working for 13abc.

Mitchell majored in Journalism at Bowling Green State University before becoming 13abc’s official weekday morning news anchor earlier this year. She interned as the weekend morning news anchor at 13abc as a senior in college.

Manthey joined 13abc as a reporter in 2024 before becoming a morning weekend anchor at the beginning of this year. On weekdays, she works as a multimedia journalist, conquering the many tasks that come with creating a news broadcast.

“I think it hits close to home,” said Manthey in her interview, talking about how different it is to report on a story from her hometown rather than any other city.

Manthey and Mitchell both shared that they work on stories about people living in hazardous environments, including unkempt homes or experiencing difficult situations, like housefires. 

Though those kinds of stories can at times take a toll on them, they both expressed how much they enjoy helping people out of their bad circumstances.

Manthey and Mitchell shared their insights with the students on what it is like being a journalist and how their careers affect their daily lives.

As morning news anchors, Manthey and Mitchell get to the office around 4 a.m. to prepare for the work day ahead. They often get off around 1 p.m., but must stay if there is more news to cover.

This tight schedule leaves little time for hobbies, though when time is available, Manthey likes to spend time with her family and new dog. Mitchell also shared that she got a new dog and that it is a new experience having such an important priority with her kind of schedule.

Students found the discussion with the two news anchors informative and helpful because they got to hear about what a day-to-day life is like from an anchor’s perspective.