Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Jim Shella spent four decades in television journalism, with 34 years dedicated to covering Indiana politics. His long career included a wide array of political stories and state government coverage. 

He began broadcasting in Cedar Rapids, then moved to Grand Rapids before being hired at WISH-TV in Indianapolis in December 1982 as the Statehouse Reporter, one of the most demanding journalism roles at the time. He remained with WISH-TV for 34 years. During that period, Shella also hosted and produced WFYI's “Indiana Week in Review,” a political analysis show airing on both public and commercial stations. He estimates he hosted roughly 1,300 episodes from 1991 to 2016. Since 2014, Shella has also written a monthly political column for the Indianapolis Business Journal. 

Ben Burns interviewed Jim Shella for the IBHA Oral History Collection in 2024.

Early Life 

Jim Shella was born on August 15, 1954, in Pipestone, Minnesota, and raised in nearby Jasper. His father owned a power company, and his mother, a former bank employee, stayed home to raise Shella and his six siblings. 

Shella graduated from Jasper High School and went on to earn a communications degree from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. 

College and Early Career

When Shella entered college, he initially intended to major in pharmacy. But after struggling with chemistry courses, he changed directions and found success in a communications class. That class led him to the campus radio station, where he got his first experience in broadcasting. 

Although he wanted to read newscasts, the only position available was as a color commentator for hockey games. Despite having little exposure to the sport, Shella took the job and gained valuable on-air experience. 

Toward the end of college, Shella interned full-time for three months at a TV station in Rochester, Minnesota. The week after finishing his internship, he landed his first full-time job at WMT Television in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Beginning of his Professional Experience

Shella admitted his professional start was rocky, with limited experience going into his first job at WMT (now KGAN) in Cedar Rapids. He began as a news photographer, using 16 mm film and often commuting over an hour to shoot, return, and process footage before deadline. 

After about a year, he moved into a reporting role. He started on the education beat, then covered local trials, and later the Iowa Caucuses. He also spent time volunteering on his days off to help national reporters like Phil Jones of CBS cover political events. 

Shella's next role took him to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he joined WOTV (now WOOD). On his first day, a city worker strike began, and the station had just received its first live truck. His experience in live reporting helped him stand out. Within three months, he broke the news that the strike had ended. 

WISH-TV

In 1982, Shella joined WISH-TV in Indianapolis as the Statehouse Reporter. At the time, it was one of the most high-profile and challenging political reporting positions in the state. Over the next three decades, he became the longest-serving TV political reporter in Indiana. 

He broke major stories, including Mike Pence’s trip to New York where he became Trump’s running mate, Dick Lugar’s presidential run in 1996, and Mitch Daniels’ appointment as Purdue University’s president. He also reported on the Pentagon’s rebuilding after 9/11, interviewed six Indiana governors, and covered 14 national conventions. 

For 15 years, Shella hosted “Weekly Chat with the Governor.” He also produced and hosted the Emmy-nominated show Indiana Week in Review for 25 years, in partnership with WFYI. 

Big Name Interviews 

Throughout his career, Shella interviewed many high-profile political figures. He spoke one-on-one with Ronald Reagan during a campaign stop in Iowa and interviewed Gerald Ford in an airport shortly before a campaign. 

In 2008, Shella interviewed Barack Obama both one-on-one and in small press groups during his campaign. He also reported on and interviewed Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and various members of Congress over the years. 

Awards

Over the years, Shella earned numerous awards for his reporting. He won the Iowa Broadcast News Association’s First Place Investigative News Award in 1980, and the AP’s Best General News Story award in 2004. He was inducted into the AP Hall of Fame in 2017 and later into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. He also received a regional Emmy for lifetime achievement. 

Though Shella retired from WISH-TV in 2016, he remains active in journalism through his work on Indiana Week in Review and stays engaged in his local community. 

---

Written by Ben Burns, edited by Katherine Maners

February 2026

Bibliography 

https://www.ijhf.org/members/2023/jim-shella

Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame did a profile similar to what we are doing when he got inducted in. 

https://www.financialexecutives.org/Events/Event_Speaker_Bio.aspx?Speaker=3A80667 F-7F79-41B3-AEA2-2AFEE1BAB406 

Short synopsis on where Shella worked, achievements he has made, etc. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimshella

Shella’s LinkedIn profile that includes his personal info as well as career info 

Video interview with Shella after winning an award. Get to hear from Shella himself as well as see clips of Shella at work 

Audio interview like the one I did that WISH-TV did with Shella after he retired