{"id":8339,"date":"2021-01-29T11:36:54","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T16:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=8339"},"modified":"2021-08-18T17:01:55","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T21:01:55","slug":"rising-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2021\/01\/29\/rising-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising Star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the Busiest Man on Campus to National Television Correspondent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Skyler<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When news breaks on Capitol Hill or at the White House, Skyler Henry (\u201911) is there to cover it. The Georgia Southern alumnus reports some of today\u2019s biggest stories as a correspondent for CBS Newspath, a 24\/7 newsgathering service for more than 250 CBS affiliate television stations in the U.S. and for broadcasters around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started during the Congressional impeachment hearings against President Trump in November, so there was no handholding,\u201d said Henry as he reflected on his first months at the CBS News division. \u201cI felt like I got thrown into the deep end of the pool. But it was what I needed; I think. Nothing like a rare, historical event to get your blood pumping and make you dust off the political cap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before mid-March, Henry, who spends most of his time bouncing back and forth between the Hill and the Executive Mansion, was on the campaign trail covering Democratic presidential hopefuls. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, changing the way journalists do their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost people work from home now, so you hardly see anyone anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was a time when Zoom and Skype chats were seen as ‘less than.\u2019 I think there’s a connection with someone that you can really pull from when you’re actually in the room with them. At the White House for a stretch, we had to get our temperatures checked before we even got onto the grounds, and even now, you have to have a rapid test if you’re in close proximity to President Trump. On the Hill, there’s more electric hand sanitizer dispensers and signage reminding people to wear face masks and to remain socially distant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Henry, who is from Stone Mountain, Georgia, has been able to leave Washington, D.C., to report other national news stories. He covered the protests and aftermath of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, and the historic SpaceX rocket launch in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I went to Minneapolis, I didn’t know what to expect,\u201d he explained. \u201cEmotions were higher than high. The beautiful thing, I think, about my time spent there is that for a long time, I don’t know if all the country paid attention to this important conversation about police accountability, particularly as it impacts communities of color. I think George Floyd’s murder reignited that to the point where more people than ever, both here in the states and abroad are saying no more. It’s a frustrating topic, because the conversations are so emotionally charged, justifiably so. But to be a Black man covering a nation’s protest, I’ve never felt I’ve been more properly placed than a time like this. It’s a personal story, allowing me to add context so many others can’t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry honed his skills in broadcasting while he was a student on the Statesboro Campus. He says the University transformed his life and helped lay the foundation for the career he enjoys today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeorgia Southern was the time of my life,\u201d said the multimedia communications major. \u201cI tapped into something more while I was there and a large part of that was the autonomy that was provided for me to make my own media path. I was doing radio; the gracious powers that be allowed me to host a few things for Eagle Entertainment, and in classes in the communication arts department, we anchored Channel 97 news. I was doing it all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just weeks after Henry graduated from Georgia Southern, the self-admitted busiest man on campus was in Los Angeles for a four-month internship at top-rated KIIS-FM. It\u2019s where popular television host Ryan Seacrest broadcasts his syndicated radio show. Since that internship, Henry has made several career moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I first started, I was a stagehand for WSB-TV in Atlanta,\u201d he said, calling it gritty work with ungodly a.m. wake-up call times. \u201cFor lack of a better analogy, I was part of the process of making the sausage; cleaning, changing lights, running teleprompter, printing scripts. It just gave me an appreciation for everybody involved in the TV news process. On my days off, I would shadow reporters in the field and every so often they\u2019d let me ask a question or two. You make your own luck and part of that was getting into the door to find your way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That job was followed by stints as an evening news anchor and reporter in Macon, Georgia, and as a weekend anchor and reporter in Baltimore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone outside of the industry knows how much work goes into it,\u201d Henry said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the typical 9-5. There are a lot of long hours, missed holidays and events and a constant need to be in the know. There are certainly times when you just want to put it all down for your own sanity, but you have to take a deep breath and keep pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His stints in local news served him well, leading to a job that has landed him in the room with dozens of prominent journalists while covering major news events. A skilled writer, reporter, videographer and editor, Henry offered this advice for Georgia Southern\u2019s aspiring journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let a \u2018no\u2019 dissuade you from what you\u2019re passionate about. Now, more than ever, it\u2019s important to let your voices and perspectives be heard, so speak up! If it\u2019s new, try it. Don\u2019t be caught up in old tech or old standards. This is an ever-changing profession, so you\u2019ve got to be willing to adapt to the times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry is unsure about his next career move but admits his dream job is to have a platform to create change and \u201cbring about some good in the world.\u201d Nine years after leaving Georgia Southern, the alumnus said there are times when he feels a bit like Forrest Gump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI find myself in, around or near some of the most newsworthy moments,\u201d he noted. \u201cIf you would have told me when I was walking across the stage that my days now would consist of going to the White House every day, I wouldn\u2019t have believed you. I think the first two weeks were ‘pinch yourself’ moments, not only with respect to your peers in the room, but just the fact that it’s the press briefing room in the White House. But with deadlines and live shots and stories and keeping up with the administration, you quickly realize there’s little time for gawking. The big thing for me is the honor and privilege I think the role brings. I’m fortunate enough to report on the nation’s agenda from the people’s house. I’m lucky and blessed.\u201d\u00a0\u2013 Sandra\u00a0Bennett<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Busiest Man on Campus to National Television Correspondent When news breaks on Capitol Hill or at the White House, Skyler Henry (\u201911) is there to cover it. The Georgia Southern alumnus reports some of today\u2019s biggest stories as a correspondent for CBS Newspath, a 24\/7 newsgathering service for more than 250 CBS affiliate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":8345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-8339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-winter-2020"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}