Meet Joe Little of NBC 7 in Kearny Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Little.

Joe, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a lost soul when I started down this path in television news. My dad was a surgeon. My mom was a nurse. My older brother was a doctor. It was a meatball. I was a one-time college basketball bench warmer who wanted to be a sports broadcaster at ESPN. I had no idea what to do or how to get there. My parents had no idea what I was doing either. I figured it out on my own. However, I was too stupid to ask for help along the way and my path to success took much longer.

I got my BA from George Mason University, where I played college basketball and developed some strong video production skills. I then earned my MA from Syracuse University, where I learned the basics of television journalism. I started my professional career in a tiny town called Hagerstown, Maryland. That’s where I first had an opportunity to truly be me. My boss, Mark Kraham, literally told me to have fun with a story. I felt like the leash was off and I was able to run free with a story. It started me down a path of creativity that still needed a bit of guidance.

I finally hit my true stride when I started working as a reporter at 10News in San Diego. I was finally allowed to shoot, write, and edit my own stories with my personality. I was covering all sorts of events, disasters, celebrations, and stories with my flair. I started to get noticed. People started asking me to teach at conferences, stations, and colleges.

I never had guidance myself. I was never smart enough to seek guidance. However, as a seasoned professional, all I want to do is give guidance to people who want to do the best job they can for their viewers. After 20 years in the business, I am blessed to be considered one of the best at what I do but I get the biggest high out of teaching people to be even better.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. I started at a small station in Hagerstown, Maryland where I could spread my wings. Less than a year later, my fiancée got accepted to graduate school in another market. I had to take a step backward in central Pennsylvania and work my way back up the ranks.

Two years later, my wife got a job she couldn’t turn down in San Diego. I had to take a giant step backward in a much bigger market. However, once again, I worked my way back up the ranks. I worked at NBC 7, a cable station, 10News, and again at NBC 7 where I am now the Director of Storytelling and still telling stories for San Diego.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a television news reporter at NBC 7 in San Diego, California. I specialize in producing those stories every day by myself. That means I shoot, write, edit, and report on those stories without help from another person. We’re called Multimedia Journalists or MMJs. I am also the Director of Storytelling for NBC 7. That makes me responsible for coaching my coworkers to elevate their stories.

Across the country, I am known for my on-camera work and the stories I produce. I regularly travel the country to teach people how to tell better stories and how to produce better live shots and standups. Those are the moments when you see the reporter on your screen.

As an individual, I am most proud of the stories I produce for NBC 7. As a news station, I celebrate the moments when our team comes together as a single unit and produces an incredible newscast for San Diego.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
This is a great place to work. It helps that it never rains but it’s also important that we have great people with great stories to share. San Diego is not a place for rookies in my industry, though. Young journalists fresh-out-of-college or just a little experience need to go to smaller markets like Yuma, Arizona and Bakersfield to “cut their teeth.” You don’t want to come to a city the size of San Diego and make mistakes on air. The only way San Diego can improve on that would be to get smaller with less money. That ain’t happenin’.

Contact Info:

• Address: NBC 7
  9680 Granite Ridge Drive
  San Diego, CA 92127
• Website: www.NBC7.com
• Email: joe.little@nbcuni.com
• Instagram: @LittleJoeTV
• Facebook: /JoeLittleMMJ
• Twitter: @LittleJoeTV

Image Credit:
Joe Little

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