Interview with Giff Nielsen, KHOU-Houston

My journalist is in town! Special thanks to Giff Nielsen, sports director and anchor for KHOU-11, the CBS affiliate in Houston, Texas for answering some of my questions. Enjoy:

Nielsen: I graduated from BYU with a BA in Communications with an emphasis in public relations. During my time in college, I had a chance to take other courses learning about the media along with PR so when the opportunity came to retire from professional football, I had some background in television that allowed me to have a small understanding of what I was getting myself into as the sports director at Channel 11 in Houston.

Daniel: How did you break into the field?

Nielsen: I was in the right place at the right time. Most young journalists have to work in smaller markets before they hit a top ten position but that was not the case with me. I learned how to learn in college and it paid off.

D: How do you define a good journalist?

N: It's up to a journalist to present the facts, be totally objective and let the viewers decide for themselves how they feel about what they've seen and heard. The exception is the sports department where you can have more fun reporting your information although there are some serious stories in today's sports world that need total objectivity.

D: How would you define the type of journalism you do?

N: Let me just say this. It's fun and everyone seems to want my job. Going to special sporting events and covering the local pro, college and high school teams is enjoyable for the most part although I've reported on some tragic stories.

D: How do you feel your journalism serves the community?

N: The sports scene in communities can be a diversion from the challenges of life. That in itself can help areas come together in a unique way. I've seen cities that have been down in the dumps for one reason or another rally behind their team to create a sense of excitement.

D: Have you ever had an experience in which you felt your work as a journalist really made a difference?

N: The news can be a great source of information to the public. That's really who we are. We just had an experience with Hurricane Ike and we were the eyes and ears of the public for many days. The Houston area counted on us to let them know what was going on and how they could get help. It was amazing to watch it and be a part of it.

Giff Nielsen was the starting quarterback for the BYU Cougars in the late 70's and was the starting QB for the Houston Oilers from 1982-1983. He lives in Sugar Land, TX with his family.