What an honor it's been...
Sorry - that was a reflex. For years, it was how I said hello to TV news viewers every evening.
Let me try that again.
“Hello!” Or maybe “Howdy”. Or even “Hey Ya’ll.”
Thank you for connecting with me here.
Thirty years in television broadcasting gave me the invaluable privilege of making innumerable connections with people around Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, across the nation, and around the world.
“Good evening… and thanks for joining us.”
Seven minutes with a sitting President.... in the basement of Freedom Hall in Johnson City before a 2018 rally.
I’ve met and interviewed a lot of people. Most were people impacting and impacted by the news of the day.
Some were famous and controversial.
"Don't you want your picture made with me?" Dolly once told me after an interview. Uncommon kindness from an unmatched icon.
Some were famous and beloved.
A moment with a loyal viewer outside the Johnia Berry Holiday Toy Drive in 2022.
With every interview and in every story, my mission was simple: ask key questions, listen without judgment, and tell the viewers and readers the truth.
So many lessons learned! One of them - that the BREAKING NEWS and the URGENT ISSUES that captivate us…. often prevent us from talking about what really matters most to most people.
A moment for the camera after an interview with 103 year-old World War 2 veteran (hero!) H. Bowlin.
Another lesson: the people I most enjoyed meeting, interviewing and covering were not the ones who wanted to be “on camera”. They weren't powerful or famous. They described themselves as common, normal, and average. But in listening to them, I realized they were so much more.
Welcoming remarks for the crowd at the very first TEDx Johnson City.
Most of my career has been spent talking to a camera in a studio with just a few other people in the room. Most exciting to me were those moments when I got to interact with REAL PEOPLE, both one-on-one and on stages in front of big crowds.
Today, my focus remains on doing what I can to celebrate and support the Appalachian region that’s always been my home and hopefully always will be.
I’ll be writing and speaking about it as long as I’m able, and you’ll be able to find the links to all that stuff here.
With all my thanks,
Josh
