Lauren Shelley Lyster is an American television journalist and reporter best known for her work with KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles. Before joining KTLA, she developed an unusually diverse career that included financial analysis, business journalism, Yahoo Finance, CBS News, and ABC News.
Lyster is particularly recognized for her coverage of major breaking-news events. During her time with ABC News, she reported for programs including Good Morning America and World News Tonight and worked with ABC NewsOne. She was also the network’s first correspondent on the ground during the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where she led live coverage from the scene. Her work on the breaking-news team subsequently earned an Emmy Award in 2017.
Her professional path is notable because she did not begin her career exclusively in journalism. Before entering television news, she worked as a senior equity analyst covering the retail sector at Tiburon Research Group in San Francisco. She later moved into financial television with Yahoo Finance before transitioning into network news.
Today, Lyster is associated with KTLA 5 in Los Angeles, where published profiles identify her as a reporter. Recent 2026 sources continue to describe her as a KTLA staff reporter.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Lauren Shelley Lyster |
| Date of Birth | October 13, 1981 |
| Age | 44 years old in 2026 |
| Birthplace | Irvine, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Journalist, Reporter, Correspondent |
| Education | Northwestern University |
| Degree | Journalism, with a double focus/major in Gender Studies |
| Current/Recent Employer | KTLA 5 |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Husband | Carter Evans |
| Marriage | August 2018 |
| Height | Approximately 5’2″–5’4″ |
| Children | No publicly reported biological children; stepmother to Carter Evans’ two children |
| Major Award | Emmy Award, 2017 |
| Estimated Salary | Unverified; estimates vary widely |
| Estimated Net Worth | Unverified; online estimates range from about $1 million to $5 million |
Lauren Lyster Age
Lauren Lyster is 44 years old as of 2026. She was born on October 13, 1981, in Irvine, California, United States of America. Lyster grew up in Southern California and eventually returned to the Los Angeles television market after working for national networks in New York and Los Angeles.
Her California roots are particularly relevant to her career because she eventually established herself as a reporter in the Los Angeles market, one of the largest and most competitive television-news markets in the United States.
Early Life and Family
Lyster was born and raised in Irvine, California. Public information about her immediate family is relatively limited because she has generally maintained a degree of privacy concerning her parents and relatives.
Some secondary biographical sources report that she has a sister who works as a teacher, but her sister’s identity and additional details have not been consistently documented in authoritative sources. There are also conflicting claims online about the names of Lyster’s parents and other relatives. Because these claims are not consistently supported by reliable sources, it is better not to present them as facts.
What is clear is that Lyster’s upbringing in Southern California preceded an academic and professional journey that eventually took her to Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other major media centers before bringing her back to Los Angeles.
Education
Lyster attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, one of America’s best-known journalism schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a double major, or focus, in gender studies. During her university years, she also worked on issues involving miscarriages of justice, particularly cases involving false convictions for murder, through the Medill Innocence Project.
Her experience with the Innocence Project is an interesting early indication of the type of journalism that would later characterize her career. Rather than focusing solely on entertainment or lifestyle reporting, Lyster developed an interest in serious public-interest stories involving justice, government, crime, and accountability.
Career Before Journalism
One of the most distinctive elements of Lauren Lyster’s biography is that she did not immediately become a television journalist after college. She initially entered the financial services industry, working as a senior equity analyst at Tiburon Research Group in San Francisco. Her work focused on the retail sector.
This financial background later proved valuable when she moved into business television. Lyster subsequently joined Yahoo Finance, where she worked as a video host and correspondent. She hosted a live daily program from the Nasdaq MarketSite and reported on major financial events, including initial public offerings. She also interviewed business executives and other newsmakers.
Her experience in financial journalism distinguished her from many traditional television reporters and gave her an understanding of markets and business that she could apply to broader news coverage.
Lauren Lyster at CBS News
Lyster later moved into network television journalism with CBS News. She worked in New York as a correspondent and morning anchor, contributing to CBS stations through CBS Newspath. Her responsibilities included national reporting, business stories, consumer news, and financial coverage.
Her CBS experience represented an important transition from business-focused journalism into general television news. It also prepared her for her subsequent move to ABC News, where she would become involved in significantly larger breaking-news assignments.
Lauren Lyster at ABC News
Lyster joined ABC News and worked as a Los Angeles-based correspondent. She contributed to some of ABC’s best-known programs, including Good Morning America and World News Tonight, while also reporting for ABC NewsOne stations around the country.
During this period, she covered a wide range of major national stories. Her assignments included the 2016 presidential election, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack, the 2016 Brussels attacks, Hurricane Matthew, tornadoes in Texas, Southern California wildfires, and other major breaking-news events. Her work increasingly established her as a national breaking-news correspondent rather than simply a local reporter.
Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting
One of the defining moments of Lyster’s journalism career came in June 2016, when she reported from Orlando following the deadly Pulse nightclub shooting. ABC’s coverage included Lyster reporting directly from the scene, where she interviewed survivors and described the aftermath of the attack. ABC’s This Week transcript from the period identifies Lyster as an ABC News correspondent reporting from Orlando.
She was subsequently part of the ABC News breaking-news team that received an Emmy Award in 2017 for coverage of the massacre. The award became one of the most significant professional accomplishments of her career and reinforced her reputation for handling high-pressure breaking-news assignments.
Lauren Lyster at KTLA 5
Lyster subsequently joined KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles as a reporter. Published profiles place her at KTLA beginning around 2017, following her work at ABC News. Recent biographical sources continue to identify her as a KTLA reporter or staff reporter.
At KTLA, she has covered a variety of Southern California and national stories. Her reporting has included wildfires, major crime stories, the COVID-19 pandemic, political developments, and high-profile trials. Her previous national-network experience gives her a background that is somewhat broader than that of a typical local-news reporter.
Lyster’s work has also placed her alongside other well-known KTLA journalists, including Courtney Friel, with whom she has a unique personal connection.
Lauren Lyster and Carter Evans
Lauren Lyster is married to Carter Evans, a prominent American television journalist and CBS News correspondent. The couple married in August 2018. Multiple sources, including IMDb’s biographical records, identify Carter Evans and Lauren Lyster as spouses since August 2018.
Evans has had a lengthy television-news career of his own. He has worked for CBS News and previously reported for CNN and other television outlets. He has covered major national and international stories and has been based in Los Angeles for CBS News. The relationship is particularly notable within Los Angeles television journalism because Evans was previously married to Courtney Friel, who has also been a prominent KTLA journalist.
Lauren Lyster and Courtney Friel
Lauren Lyster’s relationship with Courtney Friel has attracted considerable public interest because Friel was previously married to Carter Evans. Evans and Friel divorced after having two children together. Evans subsequently married Lyster in 2018.
Rather than becoming a source of prolonged public conflict, Lyster and Friel have reportedly maintained a cordial relationship. Their unusual connection has occasionally attracted attention because both women have worked in the same Los Angeles television-news environment. This has made Lyster’s family situation somewhat distinctive within the local television industry.
Lauren Lyster Children and Family Life
Lyster and Carter Evans have not publicly been reported to have biological children together. However, Lyster is a stepmother to Evans’ two children from his previous marriage to Courtney Friel. IMDb identifies the children as Cash Hudson Evans and Cameron Kaiulani Evans. Consequently, when discussing Lyster’s family, it is important to distinguish between biological children and her role as a stepmother.
Lyster has kept much of her family life away from the television spotlight, although social-media-related biographical sources have reported that she has spent time with her stepchildren and extended family.
Lauren Lyster Husband: Who Is Carter Evans?
Carter Evans is an experienced journalist and CBS News Los Angeles-based correspondent. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and studied broadcast journalism at Ithaca College. His professional career has included CBS News, CNN Newsource, KCBS/KCAL, and other media organizations.
Evans has reported on major stories ranging from natural disasters and crime to national politics and international events. His marriage to Lyster therefore represents a partnership between two experienced television journalists. Both have spent much of their professional lives covering major breaking-news stories.
Lauren Lyster Height
Lyster’s height is not officially published by KTLA. Secondary biography websites give varying estimates, including approximately 5 feet 2 inches, 5 feet 3 inches, and 5 feet 4 inches. Because these figures conflict, it is more responsible to describe her height as approximately 5’2″–5’4″ rather than claiming a precise measurement.
Lauren Lyster Salary
Lauren Lyster’s actual salary is not publicly disclosed. This is important because online biography sites provide dramatically different estimates. One source reports approximately $77,561 per year, another gives a range of $45,000–$110,500, while others claim a substantially higher figure of approximately $260,000.
Her compensation would likely depend on her contract, experience, role at KTLA, years in television, and whether her work is classified as staff or freelance at a particular point in time. Given her extensive experience with ABC News, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, and KTLA, it would be reasonable to expect her compensation to reflect her seniority, but any specific number should be considered an estimate.
Lauren Lyster Net Worth
Lauren Lyster’s has an estimated net worth of between $1 million and $5 million. Her potential sources of wealth include her long career in journalism, financial-media work, television reporting, and other professional income. Her earlier career as a financial analyst also means she had professional experience outside broadcasting before entering television.
Lauren Lyster’s Awards and Professional Recognition
Lyster’s most significant publicly documented award is her 2017 Emmy Award for breaking-news coverage connected to the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. The award reflects the demanding nature of her work as a national correspondent and her ability to report from rapidly developing and emotionally difficult news scenes.
Her career has also included extensive coverage of natural disasters, terrorism, elections, wildfires, crime, and other major events. Her transition from financial analysis to business television and eventually general assignment news demonstrates a broad professional skill set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lauren Lyster?
Lauren Lyster is an American Emmy-winning journalist and television reporter associated with KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles. She previously worked for ABC News, CBS News, and Yahoo Finance.
How old is Lauren Lyster?
She was born on October 13, 1981, making her 44 years old in 2026, assuming the commonly reported birth date is accurate.
Where was Lauren Lyster born?
She was born in Irvine, California.
Who is Lauren Lyster’s husband?
Her husband is Carter Evans, a CBS News journalist. They married in August 2018.
Does Lauren Lyster have children?
She does not have publicly reported biological children with Carter Evans, but she is stepmother to Evans’ two children from his previous marriage to Courtney Friel.
Where did Lauren Lyster go to college?
She attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she earned a journalism degree with a double focus/major in gender studies.
How tall is Lauren Lyster?
Her official height is not publicly documented. Secondary sources estimate her at approximately 5’2″–5’4″.
What is Lauren Lyster’s salary?
Her actual salary has not been disclosed. Online estimates range widely, so figures such as $77,561 or $260,000 should not be treated as confirmed.
What is Lauren Lyster’s net worth?
Her net worth has not been publicly disclosed. Secondary sources estimate it anywhere from roughly $1 million to $5 million, but these estimates cannot be independently verified.
When did Lauren Lyster join KTLA?
Published profiles generally place her arrival at KTLA around 2017, following her work with ABC News.
Lauren Lyster Biography
Lauren Lyster is a renowned American journalist currently working as a reporter for KTLA in Los Angeles. She formerly presented Capital Account on RT and Yahoo! Finance’s Hot Stock Minute. Previously, she worked for CBS News and ABC News.
Lyster went to Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a double major in gender studies. During her stay at the school, she focused on miscarriages of justice mainly on false convictions for murder) under the auspices of the Medill Innocence Project.
Prior to joining KTLA, Lyster worked for ABC News based in Los Angeles, reporting for the network’s program, “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight,” as well as for ABC stations across the nation with ABC NewsOne. She was the network’s first correspondent on the ground during the breaking news of the Orlando Pulse nightclub terror attack, covering a special report on the scene. Additionally, in 2017, Lauren received an Emmy Award as part of the breaking news team coverage of the massacre.
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Lyster’s expertise in reporting has taken her from Hurricane Matthew in Florida to wildfires in Southern California to tornadoes in Texas. She anchored the early morning network broadcast during the breaking news of the Brussels terror attack. For ABC stations, her tasks ranged from the San Bernardino terror attack to the red carpet award, shows like the Oscars, the highlights of the 2016 presidential race, and also the Democratic National Convention and election night.
Before joining ABC, Lyster worked as a correspondent at CBS News based in New York, where she often anchored the network’s early morning broadcasts and reported primarily for CBS stations with Newspath, focused on MoneyWatch reports and consumer news.
She also reported live during big IPOs such as Twitter and Alibaba, as well, she interviewed newsmakers in the business world.
Lauren Lyster Age
How old is Lauren Lyster? Lyster is 44 years old as of 2023. She was born on October 13, 1981, in Irvine, California. She celebrates her birthday on the 13th of October. In addition, her birth sign is Libra.
Lauren Lyster Husband
Lyster is currently married to reporter Carter Evans, the ex-husband of KTLA weekend anchor Courtney Friel.
Lauren Lyster’s Family
Lyster was raised by her mother and has a sister, called Lynn. Her ethnicity is white. Lyster is a native of Southern California, originally from Irvine.
Lauren Lyster’s Height
Lyster stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 3 inches.
Lauren Lyster Salary
Lyster receives an estimated annual salary of $260k as a reporter at KTLA News.
Lauren Lyster Net Worth
Lyster has an estimated net worth of $1 million- $5 million. Her income is mainly attributed to her successful career as a journalist.
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