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Bob Buckley BJ '84, MA '87

What do you do, and what is most interesting about it?
I have one of the more unusual set-ups in journalism. I spend about a third of my time anchoring. I am the only "fill-in" male anchor, so I do all the shows, and I spend the rest of my time doing what are called, "The Buckley Report." They are, essentially, whatever tickles my fancy, but they are often the kinds of stories that can't be done in a single day. For example, following a lady through qualifying for - and then having and recovering from - gastric bypass (stomach stapling) surgery, or an in-depth report on how the state got into its budget crisis and what to do about it.

How did you get your job?
This particular job I got because they wanted to hire my (then) wife, and liked my tape enough that they hired me, too, even though they didn't have a job for me. I got my first job because I had a strong tape, coming out of MU, for an entry-level job as a sports anchor in Greenville, N.C.

What is your best professional lesson learned at the J-School?
There were so many, it's hard to narrow it to one, but I suspect it was that - as a Mizzou grad - you are a product of the world's first and finest School of Journalism and you should act like it. By that, I mean you should always be the hardest worker, the most accurate and enterprising reporter in your newsroom. You should also be generous and helpful to everyone you work with, even those who may, one day, take your job.

What would be your best advice to current students?
Obviously, I'd follow the advice in the last answer, but I'd also say too many people get lazy in their networking. Always continue making contacts, asking them for feedback and then SEND THEM THE TAPE WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL. Little things are important, as well, including speaking your mother tongue impeccably.

What are some of the projects you have worked on?
I have anchored all over the place (a.m. show, 5-9, noon, 90-minutes at 5 p.m. and a 10 p.m. hour) and put together some interesting stories. Among them are why North Carolina has some of the best schools in America and yet lags in overall scores; the kind of technology our area is going to need to keep its manufacturing base (delete comma) after losing textiles and furniture; and some fun ones: The two-minute business plan, which is the story of Wake Forest University MBA students (delete comma) who have the length of an elevator ride to the top of the Wachovia Bank Tower in Winston-Salem to sell their business plan to venture capitalists; and a local version of the HBO show, "Project Greenlight," with the North Carolina School of the Arts.

What are your next career steps?
I don't have plans to change anything anytime soon. This is one of the greatest gigs ever created in TV news. My family is my main focus, and this situation serves me very well. It's extremely flexible, and I pretty much come and go as I please, as long as I get my work done. The one thing I might look to do in the future is have a permanent anchor gig, one show that I do every day, in addition to the "Buckley Reports" so that my anchoring can be more consistent.

What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievement?
I've been nominated for an Emmy seven times, though I've never won. I always seem to be up against people from the biggest markets. I've also won best news story of feature in North and South Carolina three times, but I guess that my proudest achievement is that several of my stories have been used as "teaching tools" at the Poynter Institute, which is the gold standard of continuing education for journalists.

What is something about you that might surprise people?
My work isn't my life. So many people in this business have such huge egos, and a healthy ego is important to success on camera, but I believe they make it the focus of their lives. As long as my wife and two little boys are still at home, that is always where my focus will be. Work is what I do so that I can have that life.