91传媒 receives papers of veteran journalist and alum Randy Bell
Contact: Checky Herrington
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 ceremony at 91传媒 on Friday [Jan. 17] honored the career of Mississippi鈥檚 most award-winning radio journalist and 91传媒 alumnus Randy Bell, whose work will be housed at the university鈥檚 Mitchell Memorial Library.
Bell鈥檚 45-year career in radio news began in Starkville at WKOR radio station, where he worked while attending 91传媒. After graduating in 1974 with a communication degree, Bell pursued a career in broadcast journalism and went on to earn the industry鈥檚 most coveted honors, including 23 national Edward R. Murrow Awards and 15 Radio Newsperson of the Year awards from the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a special day as we honor one of Mississippi鈥檚 most accomplished journalists who got his start here at 91传媒,鈥 said 91传媒 Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman. 鈥淩andy Bell鈥檚 papers are a richly valuable resource for research and teaching and provide insights into important people and events that shaped Mississippi鈥檚 history over the last half century. 91传媒 students and faculty will definitely benefit from his generous gift.鈥
91传媒 President Mark E. Keenum also expressed appreciation for Bell鈥檚 gift to the university, which is being added to the Mississippi Journalism Collection in the library鈥檚 Special Collections department along with an .
鈥淥ver the course of his career, Randy has become one of Mississippi鈥檚 most trusted names and voices in news reporting,鈥 Keenum said. 鈥淗e has also raised the bar for ethical and professional standards through his work, which reflects a deep commitment to integrity and public service.鈥
Bell鈥檚 extensive collection comprises news clips, photos, press passes and memorabilia collected over his five-decade career, during which he covered nine governors, four major hurricanes, three devastating floods, dozens of deadly tornadoes and an array of state and national elections.
Events documented in his material range from the death of Elvis Presley to the first flight of the Concord through Mississippi to the crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd in Amite County.
鈥淢y career has given me the opportunity to meet some interesting people and do some things I never would have had the chance to do otherwise,鈥 Bell said. 鈥淚 hope the donation of my work to the 91传媒 archives will provide a resource that students can tap into as they study broadcast journalism and Mississippi history.鈥
Former Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood recalls his interactions with Bell during several high-profile cases and Bell鈥檚 dedication to research, preparation and professionalism.
鈥淵ou obviously don鈥檛 win as many awards as Randy Bell has without being a great reporter. He鈥檚 that and so much more 鈥 honest, kind, well respected, just an all-around class act,鈥 Hood said. 鈥淪ome reporters required a briefing, but never Randy. He knew the topic inside and out and always got right to the heart of the matter.
鈥淗e鈥檚 brave, too,鈥 Hood said. 鈥淭hose long, hot days in Philadelphia back in the summer of 2005 when we were trying the 鈥楳ississippi Burning鈥 case were scary times. At the end of the day, I鈥檇 walk back across the street from the DA鈥檚 office surrounded by troopers, mindful of the things that could happen. Randy was right there with us getting the story.鈥
Bill Ellison, another familiar voice in Mississippi radio, said that Bell has served as a coach and mentor to many industry professionals through the years, including Ellison, who now serves as corporate relations manager for the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation.
鈥淢ost of us were trained to be radio broadcasters聽but knew very little about journalism. Randy taught us judgment, integrity and journalistic standards,鈥 Ellison said. 鈥淎t the time, we had a full news team that we felt was on the same level as TV stations and newspapers. Of course, we had the advantage with our hourly coverage and took pride in getting the news out before TV could go on at 6 p.m. and newspapers were delivered the next day. And behind it all was Randy Bell, showing us the way.
鈥淎s young as we were at the time, it鈥檚 amazing that Randy had the foresight to save so much of his work,鈥 Ellison said. 鈥淚 am grateful that Randy was so meticulous to archive his work. It鈥檚 a true gift that, like his mentoring, will benefit students for generations to come.鈥
Bell has spent more than four decades reporting the news for Jackson radio stations owned by iHeart Media. Today, his broadcasts are heard in other iHeart markets including Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Tupelo and Mobile. He also serves as chairman of Mississippi鈥檚 Emergency Alert System, a role in which he helped develop the state鈥檚 AMBER Alert program.
In addition to his reporting, Bell has been a leader in the statewide journalism community, serving as a founding member of the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information, a past president of the Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters Association and a charter member of MAPBA鈥檚 Hall of Fame. He also is a former board member for the Radio-Television Digital News Association, representing Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana.
For 10 years during the state legislative session, he hosted 鈥淨uorum,鈥 on MPB, a live weekly television show featuring House and Senate leaders.聽
Established in the 1950s, the Manuscripts division of 91传媒鈥檚 Special Collections in Mitchell Memorial Library has served as a repository for the papers of Mississippians and 91传媒 alumni. Since the 1970s, the library鈥檚 manuscript holdings have grown considerably as its focus broadened to include 20th century political journalists.
Today, the collection comprises the papers of 22 Mississippi journalists, including Hodding Carter II, Turner Catledge, John Oliver Emmerich Sr., Orley M. Hood Jr., Bill Minor and Hazel Brannon Smith, among other notable professionals.
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