A Clear Shot to Living the Dream
By Katie Edwards
Against the backdrop of dozens of digital screens, comfortably perched in his chair, Steve Goodman looks as if this was his plan all along. The NBC News Director and New York native, however, wastes no time in saying that nothing could be further from the truth.
Steve’s journey to the Friendliest Campus in the South was born from a deep desire to continue what he started in high school on the rifle team. His older brother was shooting for Tennessee Tech, but it was clear to the coach there that sibling rivalry would work against the two in the long run. “I was looking for a competitive team in the South with nice weather. Their (Tennessee Tech) coach recommended Jax State.” He made one visit to the Gem of the Hills and signed that very day.
Taking aim as part of the Jax State Rifle Team ('88-'92)A fierce competitor, Steve was laser-focused on his role as a member of the rifle team. “I never put much thought into what I would do after my four years,” admits Steve. “After a little while, I was like, ‘I’ve got to figure this out.’” He enrolled as a business major, but after an accounting class, he decided that was not for him. The next stop was radio and television announcing. One of the assignments in that class was to interview other students in front of the class. “One question was: ‘Why did you take this class?’” Steve recalls. “My answer was to be like Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati. After that, some other students approached me about working at the radio station.
That was the day the rifleman unknowingly began to set his sights on a career in radio and television.
Steve started at the campus radio station—92J. His love for radio was sparked, and he picked up several part-time radio jobs around the area. Then, a local television station, TV40 in Anniston, Alabama, had an opening that Steve jumped into—while continuing to balance his radio jobs. He was paid to work 4 hours a day, but when he wasn’t participating with the rifle team, he was working 12 hours a day. Steve was hired to work full-time in 1992, and by 1994, he was headed back to New York for a career that went from directing at a local 24-hour news station to directing for Sheppard Smith, Neil Cavuto, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Fox and Friends. In 2019, he became a Director for NBC News.
Broadcasting for Jax State's 92J
Steve's first job in television was at Anniston, Alabama's TV40.In all this, Steve has never lost sight of his time at Jax State or the opportunities it afforded him. He meets with students on campus about once a year and delivers a message that changed his life: Do the work. Volunteer. Be present. “When we have interns at NBC who come in, if I notice them, I’ll recommend them to be hired. If I don’t notice you, you probably aren’t working hard enough, engaging and asking questions,” says Steve. “I know it’s hard when you’re 20 years old and just getting started. You may not be comfortable in conversation with 40 or 50-year-olds. But that’s what we’re looking for—someone who jumps in and does the work.”