WWNY reporter John Friot is leaving the Carthage, N.Y. CBS and Fox affiliate to join the staff of State Senator Patty Ritchie.
“Friot is deep around here,” news director Scott Atkinson told North Country Public Radio. “He knows literally everybody.”
He said going out to lunch with Friot is like a clinic in ear-to-the-ground journalism. “There’s a steady stream of people who are coming over and whispering quietly in his ear. He’s like a mafia don or something, grasping their hands, saying, ‘yes, I know’.”
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“The name John Friot is synonymous with St. Lawrence County news and for decades, he has been a major reason why WWNY TV’s coverage is so informative and well-respected among viewers throughout our region,” said Senator Ritchie. “His work as a reporter has allowed him to learn firsthand about the issues affecting people in the North Country and I am excited that he will be bringing his knowledge and talents to my office.”
Friot started his career in radio. He then worked in print at the Ogdensburg Journal and the St. Lawrence Plaindealer before joining at WWNY.