2025

Annika Pergament

Spectrum News NY1 Anchor

“It’s not about visibility or volume—it’s about having conviction, compassion, and the willingness to hear different perspectives.”

What qualities do you think make a person powerful?

When I think about power, I think of someone with conviction and compassion. Not the loudest voice in the room, but someone who listens, stands firm in their beliefs, and inspires others. It’s not about visibility or volume—it’s about having conviction, compassion, and the willingness to hear different perspectives.

What global issues feel most pressing to you today?

All of them are interconnected—gun violence, gender equality, child poverty—but the real issue beneath them is the lack of listening. People are shouting in their silos and echo chambers. Until we break that down and genuinely try to understand one another, we won’t solve anything. Listening is the first step toward healing any of these problems.

What’s one action we can take as a society to bring more unity?

Listening again—it’s the foundation of everything. And compassion. We have to stop shying away from uncomfortable conversations. Lean into them, sit with them, and let them teach you something. Every person has a story worth hearing, even those we assume don’t. You always learn something when you stop to listen.

Can you share a challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it?

I’ve learned the most when I made decisions that didn’t align with my instincts—choices that looked good on paper but didn’t feel right. Professionally, I once took a job I thought I “should” take, but it wasn’t me. I had to learn how to navigate it, communicate honestly, and eventually find my way back to work that fulfilled me.

On a personal level, when I was 14, my mother sent me to a French tennis camp where no one spoke English—and I didn’t play tennis! I cried every day the first week and every day the second week because I didn’t want to leave. That experience taught me that discomfort can be the start of growth.

Was there a defining moment in your career?

Investigating the city’s child welfare system. It started as curiosity—I felt like something important wasn’t being covered. The more I learned, the more determined I became. I spoke to parents who lost children because of systemic failures and realized how much they needed to be heard. Many told me that just having someone listen to them was healing.

That work gave my career a deeper purpose. I understood that journalism isn’t only about telling stories—it’s about giving people back their voices.

How do you handle reporting on such heavy topics?

I compartmentalize, but I also remind myself that having purpose keeps you sane. I once read that when our brains don’t have purpose, they turn inward and self-destruct. Doing meaningful work—even when it’s difficult—keeps me grounded.

What trait makes you most uncomfortable about yourself?

Indecisiveness. I can overthink every angle of a situation.

What trait makes you most comfortable?

I’ve learned to make people feel at ease. Guests on my show often tell me they relax when we talk, and that means a lot. Creating a safe space for someone to share is everything.

What virtue do you consider overrated?

Loyalty. Blind loyalty can be dangerous. It can make you overlook serious flaws or unethical behavior. True friendship is about honesty, not allegiance at all costs. Sometimes being honest means disagreeing or confronting someone you love. That’s much harder, but it’s real.

What’s one of your unbreakable rules in life?

Compassion—toward others and yourself. There’s a Sanskrit word, ahimsa, meaning nonviolence or kindness. I think of that often. I also believe how someone treats animals says a lot about who they are. For me, truth and kindness go hand in hand, even when honesty is uncomfortable.

What’s your biggest fear?

The future my children will inherit. It feels like the world’s progress has reversed course, and I worry about the planet and the values we’re leaving behind. I used to believe every generation would live better than the last—now I’m not sure that’s true.