COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today is bittersweet for us at WLTX as News19’s Darci Strickland, the award-winning journalist who’s spent decades serving the viewers of the Midlands, has announced she is leaving to start a new chapter in her life after 27 years on our air.
Strickland, who also serves as the newsroom’s Content Manager, will have her final day on News19 on Wednesday, July 31.
"After 27 years in broadcast journalism, it is time for me to close this chapter and embark on a new path," Strickland said.
"It has been an honor to bring you the news, tell your stories, and be a part of your daily lives. You've given me a chance to be a part of your family and I don't take that honor lightly."
Darci has a long legacy of advocating for the public’s best interest through her journalism and highlighting the successes of the community. Her love of the area, infectious smile, and deep empathy for the people she gets to speak to every day have made her one of the most trusted and respected journalists in the state.
Darci grew up in Ladson, South Carolina and went on to graduate from college at the University of South Carolina here in Columbia. While still in college, she joined WLTX in 1997 as reporter and weekend weather anchor. In 1998, Darci moved to the morning newscast where she was an anchor and meteorologist. It was there that she first teamed up with J.R. Berry, who’d be a co-anchor with her for the next 26 years.
In 2002, Darci and J.R. would move to the evenings, anchoring the 6, 7, and 11 newscasts. Five years later, News19 would launch Friends at Five, which would pair her with co-anchor Andrea Mock.
In addition to her anchoring, she frequently works on special assignments.
Her infectious and positive speaking style has also made her WLTX’s most requested speaker, leading to many requests from schools, charitable organizations, churches, and other associations statewide. Darci is the main spokesperson for Buddy Call 19, a station project that encourages women to perform self-breast examinations.
Darci has earned multiple Emmy Awards, an Alfred I. DuPont Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award for her work as a journalist. In 2023, Darci was honored by the South Carolina Broadcaster’s Association with their Masters Award, which recognizes the lifetime achievement of broadcasters who’ve made “significant contributions to broadcasting in South Carolina and who personify high broadcast industry standards within their community.”
Darci is also the 2019 South Carolina Broadcaster's Association Anchor of the Year, 2009 South Carolina Broadcaster's Association TV Personality of the Year, and 2005 University of South Carolina Young Alumni of the Year.
Darci is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Darci has been married to her husband Torrey for two decades and is the mother to three daughters: Logan, Layla, and Lauren.
WLTX will be celebrating Darci's impactful career at our station and her contributions to the community in the days leading up to her last day on-air.