Well-known WAGA investigative reporter Randy Travis says Covid-19 has changed almost everything he was accustomed to doing day-to-day.
Travis, who has spent 30 years investigating stories in the field, is now working mainly from home for the Fox station in Atlanta, in jeans and a T-shirt.
“Usually when doing investigative stories and we know someone is doing something wrong, we walk up to them and surprise them,” Travis said. “We are not doing that as much now because it requires us to be too close to them.”
He’s now occasionally hitting the streets to cover spot news, including the Atlanta protests that followed George Floyd’s death, according to an interview with WRBL.
The new normal is the case for a lot of investigative reporters and sports reporters across the country right now. Many are stepping into new jobs, including management roles, to help the newsroom handle a ceaseless news cycle.
For the intrepid reporter, it’s just reinforced the importance of his job.
“[Journalists] have always been valuable,” Travis said. “I think the public needs us to tell them what the truth is about this pandemic. They are receiving so many mixed messages from politicians whether it’s wearing a mask or how serious this problem is. It’s so important for us to continue to report facts.”