In national news, 1972 was memorable. Nixon visited China, the Boston Marathon opened to women and Don McClean released “American Pie.”
Here in the Upstate, another man by the name of Don — Don Jackson, in this case — decided to pick up a camera and take a job at a local news station, WYFF 4 (which then broadcast as WFBC).
Jackson didn’t plan on staying long, yet 51 years later, the region’s longest-serving photographer is still in the trenches, delivering headlines to millions of viewers each week.
“Oh, I had no desire to be in the news business,” the 71-year-old Jackson says with a chuckle. “I had a friend who was at WYFF, and the station had an opening and a training program. I had to learn to splice film, put glue on the film… when sound came along, you had to worry about matching up audio.”
Fast-forward to chip-cameras and TikTok, and Jackson has not only mastered five decades of technology, talent and top stories, but along the way has earned Emmy and Peabody awards, as well as numerous other accolades. Last month, the South Carolina Broadcasters Association named WYFF 4’s chief photographer an Honorary Life Membership Award recipient. The recognition salutes those who have made significant contributions to the industry.
With his typical humble nature, Jackson shrugs off the momentous achievement.
“I’m glad I stuck around,” he says, downplaying his rare longevity in an industry that’s demanding and fickle. “The news business gets in your blood. I really enjoy what I do. I also believe it’s hereditary. My grandfather worked until he was 80, and my mom and grandmother worked until about the same age.”
The 1969 Greenville High graduate initially worked at a couple of print shops in Greenville and Virginia, before becoming only the second Black TV news cameraman in the Upstate.
“I didn’t think much about it at all. It was a job I needed as a means to take care of family responsibilities,” he says. “I never felt like a trailblazer. I don’t seek the limelight.”
Yet his skill behind the camera has pushed dozens of coworkers to bigger markets and network limelight (the most recent of which is former WYFF alum Dana Griffin, who is now an NBC News correspondent). He’s worked with seven general managers, eight news directors and hundreds of reporters and anchors.
He explains, “I tell young people, ‘There’s a major difference in doing news and doing TV. Tell me something that keeps me interested. The story’s not about you.’ Some get it, some don’t.”
Current News Director Akili Franklin has worked with the chief photographer for more than a decade.
“A lot of people don’t know who Don even is,” she confides. “But he’s been an integral part of mentoring and pushing and furthering our on-air talent for the last 51 years. Don personifies what WYFF has meant to this region. He’s gentle and kind — but forceful when he needs to be. His impact upon the newsroom, viewers and the broader community is immeasurable.”
Jackson treasures his front-row seat to history. He relishes stories big and small, whether that’s chatting with every U.S. President since Jimmy Carter, or covering high school football.
“I appreciate the recognition and all of that, but that’s not why I do the job,” he says. “I do it because I still enjoy it and I still have fun. I get to do things many other people don’t get to do, meet people most don’t get to meet, and go places many people have not gone. I’ve been very fortunate.”
As are viewers who have been lucky enough to watch his work for the last half century.
Editor’s note: Stephanie Trotter has had the honor of working with Jackson at WYFF 4 since 1994.
