Meet Donovan Long

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donovan Long. 

Hi Donovan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Until my junior year of high school, I wanted to pursue a career as a high school English teacher. I had a desire to help students find their purpose through writing or in literature. 

My career plans changed when I enrolled in my school’s mass media class, a place where I identified my passion for storytelling. The class gave my peers and me the opportunity to anchor and report school-related news, as well as produce a documentary. I chose to focus on bullying after a student hanged himself following the trauma he faced in and outside of school. It was at the completion of that project that I knew I wanted to combine my love for writing and people to make a difference. 

I explored the art of storytelling at Florida A&M University, a historically Black college where I earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism. While in college, I anchored and reported for a live, student-produced newscast, News 20 at 5, I hosted a radio show that highlighted current events and pop culture, I wrote for the FAMUAN, the university newspaper, and interned at both CBS News and CNN in New York. 

All of my collegiate experience helped prepare me for every professional job I’ve had since graduating. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Navigating the journalism industry has been challenging, both personally and professionally, but I look at every obstacle as a blessing in disguise. 

In this line of work, it is very common to miss holidays or celebrate them without loved ones. It’s difficult at times, but I’ve found people in my community who open their homes and include me in their own traditions. 

It can be tough to plant roots in a particular community. As a journalist, it’s typical to land a first gig in a small market and then move to a larger city every two or three years. That’s been my path in my pursuit of new opportunities. While I sometimes end up far away from my loved ones, I am given the chance to explore a different part of the country, immerse myself in a new environment and gain more experience as a storyteller. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a two-time Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, Michigan Association of Broadcasters, and Associated Press Award-winning journalist. 

I work as morning news anchor for WOOD-TV, an NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

I love telling stories of adversity, hope, and faith. My personal goal is to leave people feeling different about a person, themselves, or their circumstances after they watch one of my reports. 

Independent of my work, I am known for publicly sharing my own story. I was in a car accident on July 2, 2018. I spent almost a year learning to walk, run and use my legs again. It was a very tough time for me physically and emotionally, but I persevered with the help of my closest friends and family. 

Sharing my story has made me more vulnerable, transparent, compassionate, and ultimately, a better reporter. It has allowed me to deeply relate to others in ways I never imagined. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice to budding journalists is to always remain curious, be more concerned with being right instead of first, constantly improve your writing and be authentic in your delivery. 

I wish I knew, starting out, that there is power in having a non-lead story. Transparently, I used to think that I always had to have the number one story in a newscast, and if I didn’t, then I somehow didn’t work hard enough. I’ve corrected that mentality. 

I have found that I can make a profound impact anywhere in a newscast, as long as my story is relevant, accurate, inspirational, and provides a solution to a problem. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: d_long
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonovanLongTV
• Twitter: DonovanLongTV

Image Credits
Edwin Morales
Duane Lewis