EOTO #4 Ted Rowlands

 To be a journo hero you don't have to accomplish the unthinkable. In every profession, there are heroes big and small. One journo hero that has inspired me is my dad. Ted Rowlands isn't the most well-known journalist in the world, but his accomplishments and love for journalism have helped him strive in his industry. 

Ted was born in Chicago IL in 1966. He grew up in Madison Wisconsin and was surrounded by sports his entire life. Ted played football, baseball, and hockey. Growing up Ted wanted to be a businessman and had no intentions of joining the world of Journalism. Ted attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He was a business major who worked at the local golf course as a caddy. One of the members was the morning anchor at the local News station. He offered Ted an internship to work for him. The second he stepped into the Newsroom he fell head over heels for Journalism. Ted graduated from UW with a bachelor's degree in communication arts. Right out of college Ted worked as a reporter for KBJR in Duluth Minnesota. At the beginning of his career, he jumped around from local stations throughout California as a reporter and anchor. Ted moved to San Francisco and this is where his career took off. 

Ted was a reporter for KNTV, a local station in San Francisco when the infamous American Serial Killer Carey Stainer was arrested. At this time the FBI had speculations, but no hard evidence on how many murders Carey committed. The morning after his arrest Ted was the first person to interview Carey. In this interview, Carey admitted to multiple murders for the first time ever. This broke national news that the Yosemite Killer was caught and confessed on television. Carey confessing to Ted opened new doors for him. This past year Ted was involved in the Hulu documentary Captive Audience which was all about Carey’s story. A few years later Ted was one of the lead reporters on the Scott Peterson trial. He was a key witness in the investigation due to being planted outside the Peterson home for days on end. He was known as one of the only reporters whom Scott Peterson would do interviews with. Ted was also involved in the narration of the documentary The Murder of Laci Peterson. These groundbreaking cases are what drove Ted to take a shot with the big guns and apply for a position at CNN. 

In 2004 Ted Rowlands was a correspondent for CNN. He started off his CNN career at the Los Angeles bureau. Here Ted was a part of many high-profile cases. His work helped CNN receive two Peabody Awards for the work of Hurricane Katrina and the presidential election of 2008. Ted was the guest host of Larry King Live. He also worked on the trials of OJ Simpson, Micheal Jackson, and Charles Manson. Later on, Ted was transferred to the Chicago bureau where he finished his time at CNN. After CNN Ted took time off the screen and became a writer for Adidas. Here he would compile stories on their sponsored athletes and musicians. During this time Ted missed being in front of the camera and got the opportunity to be a part of Court Tv’s repair. 

Since January 2019 Ted had been an anchor at Court Tv. Here he is the only anchor without a law degree on the show. This has given Ted the opportunity to listen in to high-profile law cases that are happening right now in America. Some of these cases are Kyle Rittenhouse, George Floyd, and Johnny Deep. Ted’s journalism career has given him opportunities that aren't like any other. To be a journalist hero you don't have to be the best journalist to be successful. It comes from love and determination.