“If you don’t go, you don’t know,” says 6News reporter Jack Rinehart. That’s because Jack believes that viewers want pictures and accounts of events as they happen.

Rinehart also habitually writes down the details of all the stories he covers. "It's a way to keep track of what you've done, what you are doing, and measure progress," he said.

Rinehart is particularly proud that his reports have led to civic changes and reform. One public official resigned after Rinehart uncovered a possible conflict of interest. Another investigative report helped the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) track down a dangerous arsonist. The IFD later honored him for his assistance.

Rinehart also has been the first reporter to get stories on the air. "The proudest moment of my career was when I broke the Mike Tyson rape story," he said. He was awarded an Emmy for his coverage of the Tyson case.

Rinehart has received other honors as well. He received The Associated Press Best Feature Award in 1980 and was honored with the prestigious CASPER Award for spearheading the Gleaner's Food Bank drive at the Hoosier Dome in 1984. In 1985, he won The Associated Press Best Investigative Report Award and the Equal Opportunity Award presented by the African American community for changes made that corrected past discriminatory practices.

In addition to these awards, Rinehart highly values the "Sagamore of the Wabash" award, given to him by former Indiana governor Robert Orr.

Rinehart graduated from Bradley University in 1973 with a Bachelor's Degree in Speech. The news veteran came to RTV6 in 1975 after being an investigative reporter at WRAU-TV in Peoria, Illinois.

During his spare time he enjoys bike riding along the Monon Trail and watching high school sports. He also enjoys fishing and reading World War II era military history books. Rinehart lives in the Indianapolis area.

Want to drop Jack a line? You can e-mail him at jack_rinehart@theindychannel.com.