Herbert White has been an editor-in-chief at the Charlotte Post for 22 years.

“When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, I was five years old,” White said. “I was watching television and this news flash came on with anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley from NBC News. As I was watching their broadcast, I was mesmerized. That was when I decided that journalism was for me.”

White was able to pursue his interest in college when he started studying at Johnston University.

“I have a degree in communication and arts,” White said. “I took reporting, history of journalism, and broadcasting classes. I was also on my high school newspaper in North Carolina.”

After his education, his interest in journalism continued to grow because of his experiences and his enjoyment.

“Doing interviews is my favorite part of journalism,” White said. “I’ve always liked trying to get people to open up about things that are going on around them. I’ve liked putting together the article itself. I love the writing and putting it in a format that others can read very easily.”

Even with his interest and passion for journalism, White finds a way to end up tired after long work days.

“The hours are my least favorite part,” White said. “You end up doing 12-14 hour days. It is worth it though.”

White’s skills throughout his life helped his career and future in journalism prosper. He showed his passion through his work.

“I guess I had always been fairly good with words, speaking, and I really liked reading and literature,” White said. “I also really liked the idea of communicating thoughts in text to people. So that was really the reason why I went into journalism. I was a gracious reader and newspaper reading was one of the things that I really enjoyed reading.”

White enjoys his job very much and loves all the opportunities he has to cover stories such as the Presidential Inauguration, Presidential Campaign, and the Democratic National Convention. His job has given him opportunities to travel up and down the East Coast.

“As the editor-in-chief, it’s my responsibility to make sure that all the articles and photographs are put together in a readable format,” White said. “Everything needs to be packed correctly so it can fit onto the printer and paper.”

Even after all these years, White continues to look forward to his job every day. He loves the stories that have history behind them, and loves events where he gets to meet different people.

“Million Man March was my favorite story to write,” White said. “It was in great weather with a huge crowd in Washington DC. It was probably the one of the largest gathering of people for a rally or protest in Washington’s history. There were a lot of different folks there from all over the country, and it was a huge eye opener.”

Read more of White’s stories on the Charlotte Post website. Check out his favorite story written by him on the Million Man March.  http://www.thecharlottepost.com/index.php?src=news&refno=5034&category=News