He also dressed up as a giant Cupid on Valentine's Day, in a barrel on the day taxes were due and a groundhog to celebrate Groundhog Day. In 1985, he did the weather dressed as Boy George while the singer was at the height of his fame. (Ryan then took Scott's old job, becoming the meteorologist at WRC.) In March 1980, the network came calling, and he replaced Bob Ryan as weatherman on TODAY. Scott remained in Washington throughout the 1970s, becoming the weatherman for NBC's local channel 4 station. Scott also had the distinction of being the first person to play Ronald McDonald, appearing in commercials in the Washington area starting in 1963. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower “Because, ladies and gentleman, that’s the way it is.”Īll of the funds raised from the luncheon support the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism fund, which supports future generations of journalism and media professionals.Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit Are we up to those challenges? I say we are. He called on reporters to be “truth tellers” while borrowing a famous line that Cronkite used on his newscasts. Roker ended his speech by describing the evolution of journalism and weathercasting, and how increased technology has challenged journalists to adapt to the changing needs of the audience. “Those decisions are made in the front offices and the only way change gets made is when there is change in those very front offices,” he said. He emphasized the need for more diverse leadership in journalism. Roker praised Black television pioneers such as Bob Teague, Bill McCreary, Carol Jenkins and Melba Tolliver, as well as some current network executives of color including Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, Kim Godwin, president of ABC News and Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC. Some overt, some subtle, some so crazy, you almost have to laugh,” he said. “As you climb the ladder, you run into obstacles. Roker described his experiences with racism, including a time when a local news anchor made a racist comment to him after the anchor was accosted by a homeless person. He was the first Black weathercaster in each of the cities where he worked until he moved to New York City in 1983, he said. And no matter how successful you are at other jobs, never forget your day job,” he said. No matter what anyone does or says, nobody can take that from you. Roker reminisced on the start of his television news career, which began in 1974 when he worked as a weathercaster in Syracuse, New York while he was still a sophomore at The State University of New York at Oswego.Īfter graduating from SUNY Oswego, he moved to Washington D.C., where he met “TODAY” show weathercaster Willard Scott, who he described as the man who would have “the most profound influence” on his career. The Cronkite School also recognized the first place winners of 2020-2021 Shaufler Prize in Journalism, Toluse Olorunnipa and Griff Witte of The Washington Post. #CronkiteGlobal also includes the Cronkite Pledge, which calls on journalists, communicators and students to uphold their shared values and give power to those who seek to become advocates and more connected to the world. The initiative will aim to amplify Cronkite’s existing Cronkite Global Initiatives programs, connect with the school’s 14,000 alums, and promote its newest program, CronkitePro, which will address the training needs of journalism and communications professionals, and their companies. The luncheon also featured the official launching of the Cronkite School’s new brand elevation campaign, #CronkiteGlobal. The ceremony featured the first ever Cronkite Award Red Carpet Show hosted on YouTube by Cronkite students Ivory Ward and Evan Lis, with special guest appearances from ABC News Senior National Affairs Correspondent and Roker’s wife, Deborah Roberts, as well as Cronkite Award Luncheon Co-Chairs John Schurz and Christine Dotts. “It was a time when a newscast and its anchor could sway opinion without giving an opinion,” Roker said. Al Roker, the Emmy award-winning weatherman and popular anchor for NBC NEWS’ TODAY, reflected on his career, his experiences with racism in the newsroom and the continued evolution of journalism and weathercasting as he accepted the 38th annual Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism presented by ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.ĪSU Executive Vice President and University Provost Nancy Gonzales presented Roker with the award Tuesday at the first in-person awards luncheon since 2019 in front of 900 supporters.ĭuring an acceptance speech filled with humor, Roker recalled his time as a child watching Walter Cronkite on CBS Evening News, as well as other influences such as Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Frank Reynolds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |