Born on Christmas Day, Chinh has always carried a reminder that her life’s story is bound not just to her own journey, but to the grace of the One whose birth that day changed the world.
Everyone has a story. Chinh’s is one of heartbreak, humility and humanity with a sprinkle of humor. Chinh is a former refugee, foster child and the first in her family to graduate college and own a home. She is a passionate storyteller who hopes her personal story will inspire others to follow her motto of “work hard and be kind.”
Chinh was born in Vietnam and is fluent in Vietnamese. She grew up in a hut in a village that required a canoe to leave town. At the age of 4, she and her father, a former South Vietnamese officer and prisoner of war of nearly 10 years, received refugee status that allowed them to move to the United States to escape poverty and persecution. Her mother had to stay behind in Vietnam due to paperwork complications. Her parents made the heartbreaking decision to split up for the sake of Chinh’s future.
When Chinh and her father arrived in Oklahoma City, they did not know any English, and she quickly learned the language with the help of local news. One of Chinh’s father’s first jobs was working as a janitor at a newspaper. Chinh would read the newspapers her father brought home, and they watched the news together every night. Her love and curiosity for journalism grew from those experiences.
Her proudest moments include becoming a naturalized citizen in 2008 and sponsoring her mother to America in 2012, reuniting their family after 18 years. Chinh was honored to be the speaker at her mother’s naturalization ceremony in 2018, exactly 10 years after Chinh became a U.S. citizen.
Chinh is also grateful to be back in her home state, where she met her husband and adopted their two dogs, Brookie, a miniature Yorkie, and Bruce, a Bichon Frise. Chinh’s mother lives with her and her husband.
She joined KOTV – News On 6 (CBS) in January 2020 and was a reporter and weekend evening anchor there for five years. Chinh has also received a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for her report titled “From Prison to Peace.”
In January 2025, she took a break from TV news to focus on family and launched Chinh Doan Marketing and Media, LLC.
She finds extra joy in telling in-depth stories about children, veterans, refugees and immigrants, the incarcerated and others who may get overlooked.
Chinh graduated as Student Council President from Putnam City High School and from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism with minors in international area studies and Spanish. She studied abroad in Peru and England.
She is a proud Sooner and Tri Delta Alumna.
She has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, National Broadcasting Society, Hearst Journalism Awards Program, Broadcast Education Association and the Associated Press.
Chinh was honored with the 2022 “Hope Award” by the Tulsa Business Owners Networking Group. She is a part of several business networking groups as an advocate and mentor.
Chinh enjoys being involved in the community and frequently volunteers as a motivational speaker and mistress of ceremonies for events.
She has graduated from Citizens Police Academy programs in Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma and is a member of Young Catholic Professionals, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Heartland Chapter and Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
Chinh married the love of her life in December of 2023. Her husband, Steve, is Salvadoran-American, and they enjoy trying new foods, traveling and dancing. Her husband is a Latin DJ and salsa instructor.
Chinh enjoys being a part of her church community (Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Tulsa), collaborating with other businesses through pop-ups, fundraisers and referrals. She loves connecting with the community and encourages you to say “Hello” if you see her out and about.