Randy Douthit- Optimistic About the Future of TV News
Digital media is changing the way that news can be delivered to viewers. Today, with the advent of wearable technology, cloud storage, and 3D printing are becoming more accessible, and high-speed wifi connects people worldwide at a moment’s notice. As television continues to evolve alongside these innovations, it seems inevitable for TV news coverage to change drastically
Early Life
Randy Douthit was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1964 to a family of journalists. At the age of 12, Randy purchased his own television set. Soon after, he started taking photographs with a Polaroid camera, which inspired his love of journalism. He attended Towson University in Maryland, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Just as he graduated from college, he began working at WBFF NBC45 television station near Baltimore as an intern in production. At WBFF, Randy gained hands-on experience with filming news stories and learning about all aspects of production; radio, video, lighting, and storytelling techniques
Career
In 1986, after a year of working at CNN, Randy Douthit was promoted to executive producer for “CNN NewsNight.” The following year he left CNN to become a political writer for ABC News. He held the position for three years before becoming the executive producer at CBVirginia aS News in 1990. After moving to CBS News, Douthit began covering West nd Appalachia. Always interested in protecting this part of America, he has been featured in many documentaries about Appalachia and the coal industry, such as “Drilling Down” (1994), “The Wind Cries Coal” (2000), and “Fueling Freedom” (2009)
Achievement
Randy Douthit has earned many awards and accolades during his time in the news industry, including a George Foster Peabody Award, an Emmy, a DuPont Citation, and two national Emmys. He was named an honorary citizen of West Virginia in 2001 for his work and contributions to the coal industry.Randy Douthit is also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, which hosts its annual recognition ceremony in Washington, DC, every year. Douthit is most famous for his work producing and reporting the story of the “Coal River Massacre,” which aired on 60 Minutes in 2000
To be successful, you have to have the ability to listen and empathize with the people that you are interviewing. This is because listening allows you to understand the questions that your interviewee wants to hear answered and also allows you to discern when an interviewee is being uncooperative or evasive. Another critical component of being a good journalist is curiosity about the world around you.
Digital media is changing the way that news can be delivered to viewers. Today, with the advent of wearable technology, cloud storage, and 3D printing are becoming more accessible, and high-speed wifi connects people worldwide at a moment’s notice. As television continues to evolve alongside these innovations, it seems inevitable for TV news coverage to…