en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:20:41 GMT 15 By Angelique Gayle
Throughout the 60s, Ohio’s news stations constantly aired reports of riots and protests against the Vietnam War. During that time, a young man -- only 17 years old -- was breaking into the media industry. He processed black and white fi lm and worked producing and substituting for on-air talent. That young man would later become one of the most prominent and well respected news anchors in South Florida. Dwight Lauderdale has reached many people throughout his 40-year career in broadcasting, reporting nothing but truth to communities throughout South Florida. Before getting where he is today, he had to travel. And, the road to his success was not easy. Childhood His journey began in a middle class suburb of Columbus, Ohio. There is where the strong foundation-- on which he still stands -- was laid. Ohio is where his hardworking parents instilled in him the importance of being himself. “They were strict disciplinarians, and while I thought it was unfair back then, I’m glad they were that way because it kept me out of trouble,” explained Dwight. “My father taught me to never allow anyone to defi ne who I am, that I am the only one who can do that. He taught me not to think of myself as a victim.” He didn’t. Instead, he continued on that path and won numerous speech awards that eventually led to public recognition of his talent. Dwight recalls being called into the principal’s offi ce to return a phone call. It was a call from the news director of the ABC station in Columbus. The person proceeded to tell him that he read a newspaper article about Dwight winning an oratorical contest in the state. It was at that moment that he was made the offer to learn the news business from the bottom up. He thought, “what do I have to lose?” The answer, it turned out that he had everything to gain. In November of 1968 Dwight began working parttime at night for WTVN-TV. He continued in the fi eld of broadcasting when he went to Ohio University and majored in Communications. With the knowledge that his parents instilled in him and what his professors taught him, he bettered himself and graduated cum laude (with honors). From that point, his journey only became more interesting. He later traveled to Miami and continued his relationship with broadcast journalism. The Community While there is no doubt that Mr. Lauderdale is a big part of news in South Florida, he is also well respected. The number of viewers who look up to him and allow him into their living rooms every day are proud that he represents South Florida. “I enjoy watching him,” said high school student Charnice James. “He‘s just so honest and passionate about his work. He knows what he’s doing.” Reaching out to the community is a big part of his career, like telling aspiring students about the work it takes to get to where he is, and the endurance it takes to stay there. Reporting stories that warn the community about possible disasters or informing parents about what’s going on in their children’s school; the versatility of what he reports is what makes the community love him. A privilege that he does not take for granted. “I appreciate the fact that I have a chance to come into your living rooms, and the fact that I get a chance to tell you what’s going on around you.” On and off Camera “I anchored with Dwight for about a decade,” said Channel 10 news anchor Kristi Krueger. “He IS Local 10 news. Dwight is an incredible journalist, a professional, a compassionate communicator, and a great friend.” The impact that he has had on his colleagues has a lasting effect. “Dwight and I have co-anchored together for two-and-a-half years now. He makes my job *so* much easier -- I can’t imagine what life will be like at work when he retires next year! I say that because Dwight is always the consummate professional,” said friend and colleague Laurie Jennings. Laurie describes him as a man who goes beyond the call of duty, and does not fail to mention how passionate he is about his job, but about journalism as a whole. That passion is evident in a news clip in which he reprimanded a local news station that rushed to beat the competition to get a story on air. The story was proven false. “Now it is part of our job to bring you news as soon as we can. But it is our responsibility to make sure that information is right…breaking into regularly scheduled program with a fi ctitious story does nothing but erode the credibility of professional journalism everywhere,” said Dwight. He makes every newscast count and accuracy is his top priority. ”Dwight Lauderdale is a leader in our newsroom. His experience allows him to put news events into a context that very few other news people have in this market. He is professional in his approach and always works hard to see that we get the story right. We are lucky to have Dwight Lauderdale on our team,” said Vice President and General Manager Dave Boylan. Simply expressed by his close friends, he is the same off camera as he is on, a natural leader with a great personality, fun and loving. Dwight “My biggest struggle has been with myself! I tend to be a perfectionist and expect to be perfect every day on live television,” admitted Dwight. He reminisced and confessed about repeatedly watching tapes in which he made errors during a newscast in hopes of fi guring out what happened and why it happened. “As I look back on it now, that was stupid. No one is perfect. Why should I expect to be? I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself,” he said. That strive for excellence and that will to be perfect helped him get the professionalism that he has acquired over the years. But no one is perfect. Success Whether it was childhood or the community, all of the roads that Dwight Lauderdale followed to success came with its fair share of obstacles; his biggest and toughest obstacle being himself. “Your life isn’t determined by the condition you fi nd yourself in… life is determined by your response to that condition...what you decide to do about it. The only way that something someone says about you can affect you...is if you allow it,” he said. For a man who stumbled into this industry by accident, he has been a gift, touching lives young, old, and the thriving people in between. He will be missed when he retires this May; unfortunately, all good things must end. However, for a man who has conquered so much, his success is well deserved. ]]> Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:39:00 GMT