Veteran WKYC reporter Tom Beres said goodbye to Cleveland viewers last night after 37 years and “about 10,000 stories.”
Beres told anchor Russ Mitchell his tribute was “really over the top” and then told viewers what he had learned in his career.
Remember you’re just one part of a team, said Beres and “put yourself in the position of the person you are interviewing. Treat them the way you would hope to be treated if you were in their shoes,” he said. “Let them explain and tell their story. Don’t just try for the gotcha soundbite. Remember it’s your job to be the viewers eyes and ears and ask the questions you think they would ask.”
“I am proud to have worked with so many talented video journalists who put up with my forgetfulness and technological shortcomings,” Beres wrote on the station website. “I appreciate all the editors who skillfully combined my words with pictures to help my storytelling make sense. And all the generous producers who made my graphics and gave me extra time for my reports have great material for a Tom Beres roast. But most of all, I am grateful to viewers who, ultimately, are the ones that keep broadcast journalists working.”
Click here to watch the video he put together.