Derrick Rose loves being a storyteller! It's how he primarily describes himself when asked what he does for a living.

"I'm in an open relationship with words and pictures," he says.

In April 2022, Derrick was promoted to launch and anchor 12 News at 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays alongside his fellow Louisville alum, Kristin Pierce. Derrick is also the lead investigative reporter for 12 News Investigates, the station's flagship investigative unit which focuses on holding public officials accountable as well as uncovering and exposing corruption, wrongdoing and waste.

Derrick joined WISN 12 News the day after his birthday in August 2018. Six months after joining 12 News, Derrick earned a promotion to launch and anchor 12 News at 9:00 p.m. alongside Chief Meteorologist Mark Baden and then-Big 12 Sports Director Dan Needles on what is now the True Crime Network.

In his time at WISN 12, Derrick has earned two Regional Emmy Awards. His first Emmy was for hosting a WISN 12 News Special, Project CommUNITY: Split State, where he led a dinner table discussion between several strangers exploring the topics and often uncomfortable issues which divide Wisconsinites. Derrick's most recent Emmy Award was for a collaboration of field reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Derrick came to Milwaukee after spending more than three years in the home of the Kentucky Derby. He worked every shift at WHAS 11 News, the ABC affiliate in Louisville, starting as a Weekend Anchor and being promoted to Morning Anchor.

Derrick finished his time in Louisville working in the station's investigative unit. His investigation of an unsolved rape case exposed the misleading statements from a detective to a rape survivor about evidence which actually had not been tested. The case sparked a review from the Attorney General and also led to a federal lawsuit.

Before moving to Louisville, Derrick spent two years covering stories along the Alabama Gulf Coast for WMPI-TV, the NBC affiliate in Mobile, Alabama, where he was the Saturday evening anchor as well as a lead reporter for the late evening news.

Prior to Mobile, Derrick worked at WBTV-TV in Charlotte as an enterprise reporter for WBTV News This Morning. In his first year at WBTV, Derrick was named "Rookie of the Year" by the North Carolina Associated Press. Also during his time in Charlotte, Derrick broke the tragic story of the discovery of the body of Phylicia Barnes, a Charlotte teen who disappeared and was murdered while visiting relatives in Baltimore. Phylicia's disappearance became a national story. Derrick developed a close relationship with Phylicia's father, Russell Barnes. Because of that relationship and after learning Phylicia's favorite color was purple, you will often see Derrick wearing a purple tie on Tuesdays as a nod to Phylicia and her father.

Derrick says he really learned to appreciate the importance of finding memorable characters and telling their stories with the perfect blend of words and pictures during his time at WAVY-TV, the NBC/FOX duopoly in Norfolk, Virginia. It was there, in consecutive years, the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences honored Derrick with his first regional Emmy nominations for storytelling and live reporting. In 2007, Derrick helped WAVY-TV break several developments and lead nationwide coverage of the federal dog fighting investigation of Virginia native Michael Vick. The following year Derrick was part of the team during WAVY's Emmy Award-winning coverage of a tornado that devastated Suffolk, Va.

Derrick stresses that success would not have been capable without the creativity and vision of a remarkably talented team of photographers at WAVY. It was amongst that group, the nationally recognized group "Storytellers" was founded.

Derrick says some of his most memorable stories came during his tenure at WJTV-TV, the CBS affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2005, Derrick was the first television reporter in the country to broadcast the arrest of reputed Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen for the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi. That summer, in Philadelphia, with Derrick on the front lines, the nation watched a jury convict Killen exactly 41 years to the day of the killings.

Two months later, Derrick found himself inside Mississippi's Emergency Management Headquarters with state officials as they prepared, responded and recovered from Hurricane Katrina.

Just before leaving Jackson, the city's Association of Black Journalists, a local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, named Derrick Journalist of the Year.

Derrick's first paid reporter job came as he moved 1,000 miles away from home to work in Greenville, Mississippi at WABG-TV. His career, however, was launched at WMJF-TV, the FCC licensed television station owned and operated by Towson University in Baltimore.

While at Towson, WBAL-TV, a sister station to WISN 12 News under Hearst Television, invited Derrick to be an intern. It's where his appreciation and philosophy of working with photojournalists started.

Derrick ultimately credits his career and talent to his faith in God. He is a member of Evolve Church in Milwaukee, where Pastor Kenneth Lock II is the senior pastor.

Derrick lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Deidre, their daughter Aislynn and puppy, Lola Rae.

Derrick welcomes all story ideas and investigative leads. Email your tips to derrick.rose@hearst.com. He especially welcomes the occasional heartwarming story idea as well.