Meet Clem Richardson

Refusing to convert to new age media, Clem Richardson stays true to his old-school writing tactics although his job may be in jeopardy. 

Three decades surviving in the tenacious industry of journalism and still remains afloat, the 58 year-old New York Daily News City Beat columnist expressed the importance of social media in todays society, although he refuses to converge to the expanding phenomena. Richardson states though he worries about the future of his overall career in print journalism, but declines to get with the new wave. 

Initiating his career in Anderson, South Carolina, Richardson states he realized at the tender age of 8 years-old that writing was an passion after reading Arabian Nights, his favorite book, one night with his grandmother. Although journalism was not the original route, he made career sacrifices simply because he was hungry, literally. Determined and ambitious, Richardson expanded his horizons to several news organizations in larger markets like Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami before finally taking a bite out of the Big Apple. He added that although he truly appreciated working at the Miami-Herald, stuffing his broad 6'5ft. statue in his Toyota in the coastal sweltering heat to look for stories, was not gratifying. He meekly mentioned traveling to teach in South Africa, building relationships with people he covered stories on, and being banned from the an Federal Prison in Maryland by the warden. He joked he was not going to be traveling to that area any time in the near future. 

Flashing back on these episodic events, Richardson exclaimed to The Reid Group, an summer internship preparing media professionals in journalism, that one reason he stays employed is because he mastered writing substantial leads when pitching stories. Being able to write strong leads sells the story, emphasized Richardson, stating it will intrigue audiences to continue to seek the information supplied. An confident lead ensures the reader that the writer is well informed about the subject matter, stated Richardson, while displaying unique and successful structures. He also revealed the horrid truth of how the economic downfall has hurt the media industry and 40,000 people that were  considered veterans were out of jobs, competing for many of the same positions that were entry-level. 

He noted to the youthful group that reading all forms of literature will expand one's vocabulary and style of writing of several types of news. A final reminder was to stay objective when writing stories to avoid bias tones, and always ask the right question. The simple questions are essentially the vital questions.