Essex Porter covers government and politics for KIRO TV. He began his broadcast career at KLMS Radio in Lincoln, Nebraska, then served as a television reporter at KETV in Omaha,and KATU in Portland, Oregon before joining KIRO.

He was one of the first reporters on the scene of the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption in 1980. He also reported from the scene of the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in January 1994.

Essex has served as co-anchor of the KIRO Morning News, anchor of KIRO's Puget Sound Business Report, and Eastside Bureau Chief. He has earned three Emmy nominations for his reporting and anchoring.

Essex is a graduate of Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, the University of Nebraska, and the William Benton Fellowship for Broadcast Journalists at the University of Chicago.