#MediaMonday – Craig Harris
It was just over a year ago that we shared the news that Craig Harris, formerly of the Arizona Republic, was launching a new publication called Coronado News and was leaving the Valley for San Diego.
Well, we’re sharing another update as Craig recently announced that he is leaving the newspaper world and taking his investigative skills to broadcast, having been named one of 13 print journalists tapped by The E.W. Scripps Company as part of the second cohort of its Google-backed Journalism Journey Initiative.
Craig has joined the ABC 10News San Diego | KGTV Channel 10 as an investigative reporter.
Craig, your print journalism career goes back more than 30 years. What intrigued you about broadcast reporting?
Well, I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks. My good friend Anne Ryman, who left The Arizona Republic for ABC 15, recommended me for this new job. At first, I thought it would be tough to be on TV with a face for newspapers. But I was intrigued to try something new. And Scripps is a great company. I had the time of my life working for Paul Huntsman and running The Coronado News, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
What types of stories will you be covering?
I will be doing a wide range of investigating stories. Currently, I’m spending a lot of time in training.
How will your print journalism skills benefit you as a broadcast journalist?
Every story needs to have a web version, which is nearly identical to print. And a lot of the skills I learned in print such as writing on deadline and working with sources is transferable to TV.
What are you most looking forward to learning in this new role?
I look forward to telling investigative stories in a different format. I’m used to writing 30 to 50 inches (or more), and I need to learn to tell compelling stories with the same depth but in a much shorter version. I’ve been utterly amazed at how hard – and fast – TV journalist work to fill newscasts all day long. The staff at ABC 10 have been incredibly helpful and the newsroom culture is incredibly positive and collegial.
You’ve been in San Diego for a while now, name your top two places to take visitors and why?
You gotta go to SeaWorld. We are members, and we have a lot of free extra passes. And the beach outside the Hotel del Coronado is incredibly pristine and beautiful. As a bonus, you can get an amazing candy apple at Fezziwig’s on Orange Avenue.
Last book you read:
The Boys from Biloxi (John Grisham)
Last show you binge-watched:
Reacher
If you weren’t a journalist, what other career would you like to pursue?
I’d work at SeaWorld and play “Biff” at the sea lion/sea otter exhibit.
How can you be reached?
Craig.harris@10news.com or my old number 602-509-3613 and on X at @CraigHarrisNews.
