ABC news anchor and alumnus Whit Johnson returns to SFSU to inspire students
Johnson visited campus to share insights from his “strategic and surprising” career with Journalism and Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts students
Emmy-winning journalist Whit Johnson (B.A., ’04) has experienced a lot in the 20 years since he was a Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) major at San Francisco State University. He was among the first reporters to interview Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi was killed. He reported on the recent total solar eclipse and covered two Olympics. And he just got back from Florida, where he covered Hurricane Helene.
When you’ve had experiences like that, you build up a lot of stories — and Johnson returned to the San Francisco State campus Tuesday, Oct. 1, to share some. The co-anchor of the “Good Morning America” weekend editions and anchor of the Saturday edition of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” Johnson talked to students about journalism, his journey and his advice for launching a successful career. The event, held in SFSU’s Knuth Hall, was moderated by Journalism Professor Venise Wagner, who brought along students from her class “Social Impact of Journalism.”
“I never imagined that I would end up here [as a network anchor],” Johnson said. “But the one thing that I think I did have going for me was just a work ethic that I developed while I was here at San Francisco State.”
Johnson grew up in San Francisco, and both his parents are SF State alums. (Johnson’s dad actually joined him for his Oct. 1 visit, and they were both chuffed to talk about how the school evolved from the ’60s to the early 2000s to now.) Johnson came to the University for the broadcasting department — and soccer. He wanted to be a professional player, but injuries halted that journey.
“While I was here, I sort of evolved from a wannabe morning disc jockey and prank caller to a sports broadcaster to a news broadcaster,” Johnson said. Since the news initially seemed intimidating, he leaned into sports broadcasting. He even voiced Gator basketball, welcoming spectators and doing PA announcements.
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