Randall Pinkston poses for a portrait Wednesday afternoon.
Photo by Austin McAfee I The Daily Mississippian
Randall Pinkston has been chosen as the 2013 Samuel Talbert Silver Em award recipient, and will be recognized at the Silver Em luncheon on Thursday at noon in the Overby Center.
The Silver Em award is considered the most prestigious award given by The University of Mississippi, and has recognized outstanding journalists with Mississippi connections since 1958.
“I’m thrilled. Well, first of all, I’m surprised. I had no idea that my name was even considered for the award,” he said. “Looking at the list of past recipients, I’m gobsmacked. It’s a British term meaning ‘extremely surprised and pleased.’ I’m honored, and going forward, I hope to be worthy of this award.”
Pinkston, the winner of three national Emmy awards and one Edward R. Murrow award as a network correspondent, has an extensive history in journalism.
A Yazoo county native and graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, Pinkston left his career at CBS in May after 33 years and 7,700 reports, which averages about five reports a week. In September he joined the new Al Jazeera America team, one of three 24-hour broadcast stations owned by the government of Qatar, as a freelance journalist and national correspondent.
Prior to his work with CBS, Pinkston earned a juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut. In 1980, he joined WCBS-TV in New York, where he covered New Jersey for 10 years. Pinkston then joined CBS News as a White House correspondent covering and travelling with President George H.W. Bush during his presidency.
At the end of the Bush presidency, Pinkston was reassigned to New York, and covered events in places such as the execution chamber of Saddam Hussein, the caves of Tora Bora and many other venues, both national and international. More recently, Pinkston covered the beginning stages in the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida and interviewed Myrlie Evers-Williams, a Mississippi resident and the widow of Medgar Evers, in one of his last interviews for CBS.
“He’s a great reporter, an honest information broker, a person of integrity,” said Charlie Mitchell, assistant dean of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. “When he conveys information, you know it’s solid. It’s always about the information, never about him.”
Pinkston has a total of 43 years in the journalism field, and still continues as a freelance general assignment reporter.
“Journalism is in my blood,” he said. “I may be able to walk away from it one day, but obviously not yet.”
Pinkston will be presented with the award this afternoon at the Overby Center at noon. The luncheon is a ticketed event.
