By: Karyn Cook
Photo Courtesy: Walter Smith Randolph Instagram
Meet Walter Smith Randolph, a new New Yorker who recently started as the Investigative Executive Producer for WCBS.
Smith- Randolph is no stranger to NYABJ or the national chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. He currently serves at the National Vice President of Broadcast and is an alumnus of Villanova and CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Smith-Randolph initially joined NYABJ for the first time in 2009 under Michael Feeney’s leadership before moving around and rejoining the New York Chapter last year.
. He Initially joined NABJ for the first time in 2009 but rejoined the New York Chapter last year.
Smith-Randolph credits the beginning of his investigative career to a time when he worked in Flint, Michigan during the water crisis.
“My second job was in Flint when people complained about the water, and I was on the
ground when the crisis was starting,” he said. I got my first Emmy nomination, and the government was lying to people and affected lots of lives and made me want to get into accountability reporting, I later went to Kalamazoo and investigated schools and powerful people.”
And having over a long history with NABJ and seeing fellow people in the field who “look like us”, Smith- Randolph credited the organization for putting him in a position to continuously advance his career.
“We are often times the only people in the newsroom who look like us, going to the conventions
and having these outlets to connect and reconnect and rejuvenate. My first time at the national
convention I was shocked there were so many black journalists,” he said.
Smith Randolph added: “
“We need more people who look like us not only on camera, but we need bylines and people at
the table making editorial decisions. We know what’s important to our community and we should
be making sure it gets more airtime.”
Alongside attending conventions and other events that the NYABJ hosts, Smith-Randolph also has an appreciation for the pre-convention cookouts with fellow attendees.
“My favorite NYABJ is probably the cookouts before convention---always a good time to hang with other NYABJers in a relaxing setting before heading to convention,” he said.
Smith-Randolph is also passionate about membership at the local level and the amount of “support” it provides to people.
“It’s important to be a member of a local chapter because you get local support and connections. Think of how great it feels when you leave a national convention---being a part of a local chapter helps keep the same energy year-round.” “
As the National Vice President of Broadcast, Smith- Randolph is pleased with recent initiatives to bring more investigative journalists of color. The Investigative Task Force was launched this past year with NYABJ. The goal is to increase investigative offerings at the convention and year-round. The first Investigative Summit at the CUNY Journalism school was held in April where journalists were trained on how to advance their careers as investigative and enterprise journalists.
Elsewhere, Smith-Randolph has many dreams for his future career trajectory, noting that he sees himself “as a news leader, managing a newsroom or news unit with national and global impact.”
Copy Editor: Breanna Robinson
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