You might not expect a shy little girl from Kalispell, Montana—the kind who used to hide behind her mom’s leg during outings—to grow up and become a television broadcaster covering an entire state. But that’s exactly how my story began.
Hi, I’m Andrea Lutz. I’ve spent the last 20 years telling stories as a journalist.
My love for reporting started when I was a freshman in high school, tasked with shadowing someone for a day as part of a school project. I was nervous, unsure of myself—but with a little nudge from my mom, I picked up the phone and called a local reporter at the NBC affiliate in Kalispell. That one phone call changed everything.
From the moment I stepped into that newsroom, I was hooked.
I went on to earn my Broadcast Journalism degree from the University of Montana—because being a Griz runs deep in my family. From there, I launched into a whirlwind of reporting jobs across Montana and Idaho, sharpening my skills and chasing the stories that matter.
Along the way, I’ve been honored to receive a regional Emmy Award, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the title of Montana Broadcaster of the Year.
That shy little girl? She found her voice. I’ve covered breaking news, political stories, crime, and in-depth investigative pieces—all with a camera in front of me and a deep sense of purpose behind me.
But my proudest role came in September 2020, when my husband Andy and I welcomed our daughter Ainsley into the world—right in the middle of a global pandemic. In May 2022, we welcomed our second daughter, Elowyn, completing our little family.
To this day, my mom, Leilani, still loves telling people about how shy I was growing up. Her story always ends the same way—beaming with pride as she says, “That little girl grew up to be an award-winning journalist for the Montana Television Network.
We all have a story. Send me yours at Alutz@ktvq.com
