Hey Gang,
I promised back in February that new adventures would be coming along, and I’m excited to say that time is here.
Pretty soon, I’ll be back on your TV (or the phone/device/screen of your choice) working for a national network called Newsy, part of the powerhouse E.W. Scripps Company. (Yes, the spelling bee folks, but also one of the biggest broadcasters in the country, and one with an admirable and deep commitment to strong journalism.) I’ll be based in Denver and will be reporting all over the West, occasionally the world and sometimes from a galaxy far, far away.
While the Newsy name has been around for a while, the network is getting a fresh makeover and will officially relaunch October 1. The broadcasts will feature a growing team of dedicated, talented journalists stationed around the country. At a time when many news operations are cutting staff, Newsy is adding dozens of positions, all with a mission to provide a “fresh perspective, no-hype delivery and added context”. (Seriously. Isn’t that refreshing?) As we rapidly approach the October kickoff, there are a ton of important stories we can’t wait to bring you. (And please send any ideas my way, too!)
Behind-the-scenes, I’m stoked that I get to work with a team that includes several of my fantastically-talented former ABC News colleagues, including my boss, Kate O’Brian. Kate is a network news veteran who—as we were discussing my potential employment earlier this year—promised I could still cover Star Wars news, which pretty much makes her the Best Boss Ever and yes I’m totally sucking up but Star Wars, right?
I’ve anticipated your next Very Important Question: “Clayton, where can I watch Newsy?”
The great thing is, Newsy is pretty much everywhere you are right now: AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and of course on Newsy.com and the Newsy app. Come October, the network will also be the first 24/7 over-the-air news network (attention cord-cutters!) available free in around 92% of U.S. homes.
On the personal side, getting through the unprecedented experiences we’ve all shared in this pandemic-scarred world just isn’t possible without the kindness we show each other. I've been the beneficiary of much of that kindness. I count myself lucky to have many friends and colleagues (some I’d not spoken with in literally years) who reached out when I left ABC (rather unexpectedly, as you may remember) offering ideas, connections, advice and words of encouragement. All of it was, and is, deeply appreciated. I’ve thanked many of them privately but want to give them a shout out here.
Over these past few months, I’ve also been humbled by the viewers who told me they miss seeing my reports from out West. I hope that they, and you, will join me over at Newsy sometime to give it a try, and stick with it as it evolves.
I think you’ll like what you see.
Onward, and be well!
Clayton
P.S. - I do have a couple of other non-TV projects cooking that I hope to be able to talk about soon. But for now I can announce that I’ve been cast to play the character of Old Lobot in “The Book of Boba Fett” series coming soon to Disney Plus. (OK, that last part is a total fabrication but hey Kathy Kennedy if you’re reading this, you know where to find me.)