On April 16, Kim Godwin, a FAMU alumna, will be the new addition to the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” as a senior producer for the network overseeing domestic coverage for the broadcast.
Godwin, who currently works as the assistant news director for WCBS-2 in New York, was the former interim director of the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication at FAMU. She said the promotion comes at the right time in her career.
“Excited is an understatement,” Godwin said. “This is a tremendous opportunity and a different step in my career. If I had to choose my next job, this would be it,”
According to Godwin, the promotion came as a surprise after meeting with several presidents and executives months ago.
“I didn’t know what they had in mind,” Godwin said. “We talked about news and what I felt the show needed. I gave my honest opinion and then they asked, ‘what would I like to do at the network?’
“I didn’t even know what the structure of the network was, but I looked at scripts and rundowns and they offered me the job in charge of all the U.S. bureaus,” Godwin continued.
Although still new to the CBS family, Godwin brings more than 20 years of expertise to the network.
Throughout her career Godwin was the vice president of news operations for the NBC Television Stations Group in Atlanta and New York in 2001. She has also held numerous management, producer and reporter positions in broadcast television including vice president and news director for KXAS-TV Dallas/Fort Worth and news director for WOIO-TV and WUAB-TV Cleveland from 1996 to 1998; assistant news director, WCAU-TV Philadelphia from 1994 to 1996; and executive producer WNBC-TV New York in 1993 to 1994.
As a senior producer for the CBS Evening News Godwin said the responsibility to deliver news on a larger scale will be a challenge she is prepared to face.
“I say it will be a challenge because it is only going to speak to my strengths to grow as a journalist, and I’m up for the challenge,” Godwin said.
“At CBS, I will be able to communicate with stations across the country to get the best news on the network. Being able to discuss stories in the tri-state is different at the network level,” she said. “It’s a lot more stage and more characters.”
Since the promotion, Godwin said she has received numerous calls and e-mails from past employers and friends.
Shawnelle King, a FAMU alumna and former CBS news apprentice, said Godwin’s promotion shows how far black women have come.
“Throughout my career I’ve looked up to Kim, and this shows how wonderful she is as a broadcaster,” King said. “She has definitely paved the way for my career, and I am proud to say she is a mentor to me.”
Professor Dorothy Bland, current director for the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, said when she found out about Godwin’s promotion she was proud.
“I think all of FAMU and the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication can share in Kim’s success,” Bland said. “This showcases the talent and caliber of students at FAMU and it shows that FAMU produces world class talent.”
Godwin, a former disc jockey for WANM, said her success is a result of the teachings she learned as an undergraduate.
“At FAMU I learned that it is all about good writing,” she said. “You have to have a passion for writing and do everything to perfect that skill because there aren’t that many good writers out there.”
Godwin gives advice to students who want to get in the business.
“Focus on writing and be honest with yourself. If you have a passion for the English language and the written language and it’s your calling, go for it because it is a tough business,” Godwin said. “Make sure you have a passion for the profession. And don’t give up. Something good will happen.”