Lester Holt: MSU’s ‘Broadcaster of the Year’

Renowned journalist Lester Holt ‘filters out the noise’ for inspired students of MSU’s School of Communication and Media.

Oh, what a noisy world we live in. At least that’s the sentiment of one news reporter, in particular. Critically-acclaimed journalist Lester Holt is a man with a colorful abundance of hats. From his earliest days as a Country-western disc jockey on the outskirts of Los Angeles to his current gig as NBC News’ most prestigious Head Anchor, Holt proves himself time and time again as one who bends backwards for his lifelong craft. And next on his impressive resume? Being inducted as Montclair State University’s very own “Broadcaster of the Year.”

This past week, the university’s infinitely-growing School of Communication and Media gave their annually-celebrated Allen B. DuMont Award to Lester Holt, for his selfless commitment of quality televised journalism to anyone with an attentive ear and an open heart.  The broadcasting award, dating back to as early as 1985, has strict guidelines barricading its all-too-shiny appeal. On the other hand, many in the media industry haven’t shared the same year that Holt has.

For starters, Lester Holt has found his footing in not only one, but two prime time network programs in the distinguished NBC lineup: Dateline NBC and NBC Nightly News (permanently replacing colleague Brian Williams in mid-2015). Furthermore, Holt has been dubbed with the rewarding challenge of this election year’s first televised debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, whose ratings skyrocketed into record-breaking territory.

The man of the hour was the definition of humility in his visit to University Hall, located in the heart of Montclair State’s impressive campus grounds. He extended both wise words and even wiser counsel to those leaning towards his particular niche of reportage. Holt even made time for an exclusive interview on the school’s very own magazine show titled Carpe Diem, an introspective opportunity that he seized with open arms.

Nevertheless, such an occasion brought Lester Holt two steps back for the sake of perspective, having him admit to the comfort of being remembered as a reporter over an anchor. It was in these subtle moments that Holt gave a clear vision of his admiration for being in the heat of the moment, along with acting as a “filter” to a chronically-changing world.

“Holt has improved drastically in his career, and he is a great person to aspire to be,” said Nicholas Carras, a Junior TV/Communications major in Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media.  “He used this ceremony to give [students at Montclair State] useful insight about the industry and what it takes to define success.  I really appreciate how genuine and kind he was to us all.”

In this sense, Lester Holt combatted his “Broadcaster of the Year” Award with a side more dimensional than a television screen. The Montclair State community has now been introduced to a humanized Holt, one of genuine sincerity and the purest form of passion for his line of work. Consequently, one cannot help but feel that the reputable DuMont Award is currently in the right hands. Talk about a big noise.

  Broadcaster of the Year, Lester Holt, montclair state university, MSU, School of Communication and Media