The Georgia Voice is eager and excited to welcome an award-winning journalist, Patrick Colson-Price, to our team!
Here’s more about your new Georgia Voice editor in his own words:
For nearly a decade, I’ve chased after breaking news stories, reported on severe weather across the country, and worked diligently to make an impact in the community with stories that affected people just like you.
I’m excited to join the Georgia Voice team as the newspaper’s new editor, and I’m eager to incorporate video into the mix. Our dedicated readers will have the opportunity to watch stories as they unfold, not just read about them. I believe my on-camera reporting, editing, and writing skills will help us tell our stories better, which will strengthen our community even more.
Since I was a young boy growing up South Carolina, I knew I wanted to help those in need, and be the voice people trusted. Like many of my friends and family members, I chose my education wisely. In my mind, there were only two viable options: Clemson or the University of South Carolina. I never thought orange or purple looked good on me, so I chose based on what would accelerate my future career! In the end, I became a South Carolina Gamecock and started my journey towards becoming a journalist. College was a whirlwind, with daily classes and internships at several news stations across the state. I survived though.
Less than a month after graduating, I got my first job offer. I joined WRDW News in Augusta, Georgia as a multi-media journalist. I was terrified and honestly quite horrible at my on-camera presentations. But I kept pushing and eventually found my groove. I started to feel the impact of telling stories that impacted the community.
A few years down the road, while reporting at WLEX News in Lexington, KY, I was at the right place, at the right time. I was able to share the reunion between a distraught family and their missing service dog (click the link to watch).
I was honored with an Associated Press award for excellence in storytelling, but it honestly didn’t matter. I was emotionally charged, grateful to have witnessed such a touching reunion. I got to share that with my viewers, knowing they’d be impacted by it too. It’s one of those feel-good stories that makes you brighten up on even the worst of days. I had succeeded.
A year later, unexpectedly, I landed a job in what many in our community call “gay paradise.” There were Palm Trees and gay men everywhere. I arrived in Palm Springs and fell in love. It didn’t take too long before I was able to tell LGBTQ-oriented stories without fear of backlash.
I was an openly gay reporter telling stories that impacted the LGBTQ community, the community I lived in. I knew my voice, and my storytelling could make a difference. I was free and open to sharing with the community who I was. For some reason, that gave the community trust that I had their backs. I was already 100 steps ahead.
I covered many stories including the continuing ‘blood ban’ for gay men across the country and in other parts of the world. We were highlighting a local blood drive on our morning show, so during my live reports, I planned to give my share of blood. The bright lights grew dim when – as I started answering the required questionnaire – realized as a gay man, donating blood wasn’t going to happen at all.
I was embarrassed, I was ashamed, and I was angry. I admit, I never realized there was a ban because I’d never donated blood before, willingly. A lightbulb began glowing in my head. I’d do a story through my own account of being turned away. I was able to impact lives through the use of words, video, and my emotion.
Through my experience as a journalist, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the unethical. When I started this journey as a journalist, I vowed to be the voice of reason, the sharer of both sides of the story, and the seeker of truth and false information. It was and is what I live by.
In today’s political climate, my career has been targeted. My career has been demeaned. My career has been threatened with violence and censorship. But my career is what makes this country so great. Without a free press, we lose the ability to share stories that impact lives. That’s something I continue to fight for daily.
As a journalist, I’ve tried to keep my focus on telling great stories. It’s not about ratings. It’s not about being first. It’s not about exclusive interviews. It’s about stories that will make an impact. It’s about seeing someone smile in the midst of darkness and doubt.
I am excited for this opportunity to dig deeper into the issues that matter most here in the LGBTQ community. Whether good or bad, these stories define who we are as a community, and how we move forward into the future. I am ready for the challenge.
If you’ve got story ideas or would like coverage on an event, contact me at Pcolson-Price@thegavoice.com.