Michelle Li is Rene Knott's co-anchor on Today in St. Louis at 5 On Your Side in St. Louis, Missouri. She came to the station from 5 On Your Side’s sister station, KING 5 in Seattle, where she worked as a morning anchor and consumer reporter.
Raised in the Kansas City area, Michelle is no stranger to St. Louis. She’s married to a St. Louis native and is a huge fan of toasted ravioli and the Cardinals.
“I am so excited and humbled to come home to Missouri and work for a dream station,” said Michelle. “KSDK is a legacy newsroom filled with legendary journalists, and the people of St. Louis are truly some of the best people on Earth. Local journalism matters more than ever, and I will do my best to make an impact in and outside of the newsroom."
In May 2022, Michelle was named co-anchor of Today in St. Louis alongside Rene Knott.
Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and two decades of broadcast experience. Before working in Seattle, she worked as the main evening anchor at stations in Madison, Wisconsin; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Springfield, Missouri.
As a Korean adoptee, Michelle is passionate about using her spare time to volunteer and advocate for adoptees and their families. In 2010, Congress awarded her with an Angels in Adoption Award for her work with adoptees and children in foster care. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri nominated her for the award. She also mentors young journalists as a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and has been a long-standing member of the Junior League.
Michelle’s work has earned multiple awards, including several regional Emmys and four national Murrows, including feature writing. She has been awarded regional Murrows for writing, social media, and innovation. Her work on a groundbreaking series covering race and diversity earned a prestigious Peabody award in 2020.
Michelle has lived on both coasts, the Midwest, and the south, so she's covered nearly every natural disaster -- tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, ice storms, and blizzards. Her most enjoyable assignment was covering two Final Four championships with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Michelle is married and enjoys being a homebody with her husband and toddler. As a family, they enjoy cooking, exploring the outdoors, Happy Dance Fridays, and just hanging out.
You can contact Michelle at mli@ksdk.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
