Carissa Codel is an American television journalist and morning news anchor who has developed a growing public profile through both local broadcasting and social media. Based in Springfield, Missouri, she has built her journalism career through work with KOLR 10 and FOX 49, also known as Ozarks First. Her professional journey includes experience in digital production, newsroom work, reporting, and on-camera anchoring. In addition to traditional television journalism, Carissa Codel gained significant attention online for a creative social media series in which she reads critical viewer comments in her professional news-anchor voice. Her story combines journalism, broadcasting, writing, public speaking, and modern digital communication.
2. Quick Information Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Carissa Codel |
| Profession | Television journalist and news anchor |
| Known For | KOLR 10, FOX 49, and social media content |
| Hometown | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Current Professional Area | Springfield, Missouri |
| Education | Missouri State University |
| Major | Broadcast Journalism |
| Minor | Anthropology |
| College Years | 2017–2020 |
| Earlier School | Blue Springs South High School |
| Journalism Experience | Reporting, producing, digital media, and anchoring |
| Current Role | Morning anchor |
| Previous On-Air Role | Weekend anchor and reporter |
| Viral Series | “Reading Viewer Comments” |
| Social Media | @carissacodel |
3. Who Is Carissa Codel?
Carissa Codel is a journalist whose career has developed across several areas of local television news. Her professional background is not limited to appearing in front of a camera. Before becoming an established anchor, she gained experience in digital production and newsroom operations, giving her an understanding of how television and online news content are created. Her own professional website describes her as a multimedia journalist and documents her earlier work with KOLR10. Current professional profiles identify her as a morning anchor for KOLR-TV and KRBK-TV in Springfield. This combination of newsroom experience and on-air work has helped shape her career in regional broadcasting.
4. Early Life and Hometown
Carissa Codel was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. According to her professional biography, she developed an interest in writing while she was still young and eventually became interested in combining writing with performance. During her school years, she participated in cheerleading and speech and debate, experiences that helped her become comfortable speaking before an audience. She also became involved with school journalism and creative writing. These interests eventually pointed her toward broadcasting, where writing, communication, presentation, and current events could come together in one profession. Her Kansas City upbringing therefore forms an important part of the background she has publicly shared about her career development.
5. Education at Missouri State University
Carissa Codel attended Missouri State University from 2017 through 2020. She studied broadcast journalism and also completed a minor in anthropology. Her university years were particularly important because she gained practical experience alongside her academic studies. She worked with The Standard, Missouri State University’s student newspaper, where she progressed into the role of news editor. Her work there involved reporting and editing, while she also produced video content for a student news project. This combination of writing, editing, video production, and journalism education provided useful preparation for the professional newsroom environment she later entered.
6. Beginning of Her Journalism Career
Carissa Codel’s professional journalism path began with work behind the scenes before she became a regular television personality. Her professional website records her work with KOLR10 beginning in 2018, while other professional reporting identifies her early role as a web producer. In that position, digital content and social media were important parts of her responsibilities. She also completed an internship connected with Ozarks FOX, where she created reporter packages and contributed to a lifestyle and talk-show environment. These early experiences allowed her to understand both digital publishing and television production. Rather than moving directly into a high-profile anchor position, she built experience through several stages of newsroom work.
7. Career Growth at KOLR 10 and FOX 49
Her career at KOLR 10 and FOX 49 continued to develop as she took on increasingly responsible newsroom positions. Publicly available career information reports that she moved from web production into news production and later into an executive producer position. These roles required more than simply writing stories because television news production involves planning broadcasts, coordinating material, managing deadlines, and working with other newsroom staff. Her transition toward on-camera journalism eventually brought her into weekend anchoring and reporting. In 2024, her professional updates announced her move into a weekend anchor role at KOLR 10. Her current professional profiles identify her as a morning anchor serving the Springfield area.
8. Carissa Codel as a Morning Anchor
Today, Carissa Codel is associated with morning television news in the Ozarks region. Morning broadcasting requires anchors to work on tight schedules because viewers rely on early programs for developing news, community information, weather updates, interviews, and other timely reports. Her current professional profile lists her as a morning anchor for both KOLR-TV and KRBK-TV. In a recent professional update, Codel said she had been the morning anchor at Ozarks First for almost a year, reflecting her continued role in the local morning-news environment. Her career demonstrates a progression from digital and production responsibilities toward a more visible position on television.
9. Why Did Carissa Codel Become Popular Online?
Although Carissa Codel built her career through journalism, a major increase in online attention came from her social media videos. She created a series known as “Reading Viewer Comments,” in which she reads negative or critical comments about her appearance using the same controlled delivery associated with a television news broadcast. The contrast between serious news-style presentation and the nature of the comments became the central idea behind the videos. People Magazine reported that the series gained substantial attention across social platforms, while Codel explained that the videos also highlighted the scrutiny women in television journalism can face regarding appearance.
10. Her Approach to Online Criticism
The social media series became notable because Codel chose humor and presentation rather than allowing negative comments to define her public image. In a September 2026 interview with Biz 417, she discussed confidence and the experience of responding to criticism. The publication also described her as a fitness enthusiast and powerlifter and connected her confidence to a family culture that emphasized physical and mental strength. Her social media work has therefore become an extension of her public personality rather than a separate activity from her journalism career. It has allowed viewers to see a different side of a television anchor while continuing to use the communication skills developed through broadcasting.
11. Age, Family, and Personal Life
Carissa Codel was born in 1999 in Kansas City, Missouri, according to a 2026 biographical report, which would make her 26 years old in 2026. Her professional website also confirms that she was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She studied at Missouri State University, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism and completed a minor in anthropology. Regarding her personal life, a July 2026 report described Carissa Codel as unmarried and not publicly dating anyone. She has generally kept her relationships and other private matters away from the public spotlight, choosing to focus much of her public presence on journalism and broadcasting.
12. Awards, Interests, and Public Image
Carissa Codel’s professional profile also reflects recognition for her work. Her social media profile describes her as a four-time Missouri Broadcasters Association award winner, while her journalism work continues to appear through regional news coverage. Beyond broadcasting, her public interests include fitness and powerlifting. Her combination of journalism experience, social media creativity, and public speaking has helped create a recognizable identity beyond a conventional local-news role. Importantly, her online popularity grew from content connected to her real professional experience rather than from an unrelated entertainment career. This makes her development particularly relevant to the changing relationship between television journalism and social media.
13. Final Thoughts
Carissa Codel’s career shows how a modern journalist can develop through several different stages of media work. She began with writing and student journalism, gained newsroom and digital-production experience, moved into television reporting and anchoring, and later developed a significant social media presence. Her work with KOLR 10 and FOX 49 has established her as a regional television journalist, while “Reading Viewer Comments” introduced her to a much wider online audience. Her story is therefore not simply about becoming a television anchor; it also reflects the changing way journalists communicate with audiences beyond traditional broadcasts. While some personal details about Carissa Codel remain private, her education, journalism experience, professional development, and public-facing media work provide a clear picture of the career she has built.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Carissa Codel?
Carissa Codel is an American television journalist and morning news anchor associated with KOLR 10 and FOX 49 in Springfield, Missouri. She has experience in digital production, newsroom management, reporting, and television anchoring. She also became widely recognized online through her “Reading Viewer Comments” social media series.
2. Where is Carissa Codel from?
Carissa Codel is from Kansas City, Missouri. Her professional biography states that she was born and raised there. She later moved to Springfield for her education at Missouri State University and subsequently developed her journalism career in the Ozarks region.
3. Where did Carissa Codel go to college?
She attended Missouri State University from 2017 to 2020. She studied broadcast journalism and completed a minor in anthropology. During college, she also worked for The Standard, the university’s student newspaper, where she eventually became news editor.
4. What is Carissa Codel known for?
Carissa Codel is known professionally for her work as a television journalist and morning anchor. She also gained major social media attention through “Reading Viewer Comments,” a series in which she reads critical viewer comments in her news-anchor voice. The series was widely shared and became an important part of her online presence.
5. Is Carissa Codel married?
Recent reporting describes Carissa Codel as unmarried and not publicly dating. However, relationship information can change, and she keeps much of her personal life private. Therefore, current relationship claims should be understood in the context of when they were reported rather than treated as permanent information.
