Growing up in the Seattle area, Don Hudson recalls being exposed to the news through his father, an avid news reader and viewer. He began pursuing a career in the news industry in high school where he worked for the school newspaper.
He hit the ground running towards his dreams in the news industry as a freshman at BYU in Fall of 1983.
“When I went to BYU, I immediately started taking communications classes. There was never any hesitation because being a journalist was what I wanted to do and what I still love doing today.”
Today, Hudson anchors the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts at ABC 4 in Salt Lake City. He also anchors the 9 p.m. newscast on ABC 4’s sister station, CW30, three days a week.
Keeping the public informed of the news is the most rewarding part of being an anchor, according to Hudson.
I love to know what is going on and I love to ask questions to learn more about current events and issues that impact the lives of our viewers,” he said. “I find career fulfillment sharing that information with our viewers.”
Hudson shared that the lessons on news writing and communicating effectively at BYU set a solid foundation for his successful career.
“My communications classes and the time I spent in the ‘Utah News Tonight’ newsroom taught me so much about journalism and story telling,” he said.
To students considering a career in broadcast journalism, Hudson offers some practical points to keep in mind:
- When reporting, take the time to get some knowledge on the topic or the subject before you start.
- Don’t rely entirely on the teleprompter and always keep a script in your hand.
- Don’t pursue a career in television news simply to “be on T.V.”
- Don’t take sides – be a fair reporter.
“The shocking lesson is that reporters, producers and managers may lean a certain way or feel a certain way and that in turn impacts the fairness or slant of a story,” Hudson said. “I still see that today and I still am disgusted when I see people pushing an agenda.”
Hudson’s career has taken him to nearly every part of the United States, allowing him to work in New York, Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska and Washington, D.C. over the course of his years as a reporter.
His expertise in the news industry has also earned him various recognitions and awards. He has won a number of Emmy Awards for his work as a reporter and is an Emmy nominee for his work as an anchor. His coverage of breaking news helped he and his teams win the Edward R. Murrow awards, one of the most prestigious awards in journalism.
His career has also allowed him to cover numerous big news items over the years ranging from Hurricane Brett in Texas to deadly sniper shootings in Washington D.C. He also was one of the first people on air after the September 11th attack on the Pentagon.
Hudson served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Diego, Calif. speaking Spanish from 1984-1986. He and his wife graduated from Brigham Young University in 1988 and 1989 and have three sons.
He is an avid mountain biker and you can find him on the trails in the Salt Lake City area. He is also actively involved in community volunteering.