A Sunday Morning Maestro

What I learned from Rand Morrison in 13 minutes and 53 seconds

By Deni Kamper

 

Rand Morrison has one of those resumes that makes budding young journalists utter obscenities of amazement under their breath. 10 Emmys, two George Foster Peabody Awards and two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. He’s produced everything from the crime-solving newsmagazine “48 Hours” to “Century of Country,” a 13-part series on the history of country music. These days, Morrison serves as the fearless, yet unimposing, leader of “CBS Sunday Morning”. In terms of career achievement, life experience and even temperament, Rand Morrison and I have just about nothing in common. But while I was picking – or more accurately – nervously fumbling around his brain, he said something unexpectedly honest. In response to the cliché question, ‘Why did you become a journalist?,’ Morrison didn’t give me a watered down response about the search for the truth, a love of writing or even the joy of telling stories. He said, without skipping a beat, “I have a relatively short attention span, I love learning about new things and finding out about stuff that I never knew before…” This wasn’t exactly an earth-shattering response, but I was startled by how earnestly I related to this admission. In many ways, journalism is a terrible career choice. The hours are absurd, the pay is dismal and the stress is constant. But if you’re like Rand Morrison, and dare I say, myself, you make these sacrifices for the privilege of a never-ending opportunity to learn about the world.

Morrison has undeniably conquered the art and the business of journalism. Serving as the executive producer of “CBS Sunday Morning,” he has reached what many would consider the gold standard of journalism: telling the stories you want to tell. To many outside the profession, this probably sounds more like a job description than an ultimate goal. But any rookie – and in some cases veteran – reporter will tell you that robberies and farmer’s markets aren’t going to cover themselves. Reaching that coveted level in the field of journalism is no easy feat and is not a sure thing for any reporter. This fact is not lost on Morrison who admits (selfishly, in his words) being able to do the stories he wants to do is his favorite part of the job. His advice for all of us twenty-somethings toiling away in college newsrooms and studios is to work hard, be patient, and keep an open mind. But most importantly, he believes in dreaming big. This last piece of wisdom may sound like the central theme to a corny children’s book, but it’s coming from a journalist who once hung up the phone on then-presidential-candidate Jimmy Carter because he was rushing to cover an airline crash at O’Hare Airport. Morrison laughs as he recalls this particular day which sticks out in his mind even decades later. At the time, he had no way of knowing where his career would take him and although one can always hope for the best outcome, hope will only take a person so far in this business. In the words of Rand Morrison, “…you need to be driven and dedicated and you need to dream big.”

 

 

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