We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy Davidson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tracy, what do you attribute your success to?
Authenticity and consistency. Over the more than 30 years I’ve been a TV journalist, the platforms have changed but one thing that has never changed is my brand. It’s not something that changes with the wind or with the current trend. My brand is who I truly am; service and community. From hosting community events years ago, to current day social media posts, my viewers/readers know what they’ll get and who I am. No surprises.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m currently an anchor for the NBC Tv station in Philadelphia. I started in radio when I was 18 at the college radio station when I was introduced to a teletype machine. Obviously we have the internet now, but seeing the information that was spewing from that machine ignited my curiosity. In a few years, I was reporting for a commercial radio station and then made the transition to TV 36 years ago. Nothing about my career has been “easy”. i tell young people now, “You better love it because it’ll be awhile before you make any money.” I ate a lot of 3 for a dollar mac & cheese. In bad weather, when authorities tell everyone to stay home- reporters are sent out- to do live reports. Your shifts can change daily if you’re a reporter. I’m a reporter/anchor, so I have more consistency with my hours. For 6 years, my *start time was 2:30am. Despite what people think, there is nothing glamorous about what I do. But my job as a journalist is rewarding beyond measure and perfectly aligned with who I am. Along with anchoring, I now do “solution journalism”. Consumers come to us for help and we solve issues they can’t. I am and have always been about service and community.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First off- you can’t visit Philly without experiencing our sports teams and our fans. So, Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers- here we come! With a definite stop at X-finity Live. Want to experience real Philadelphia tradition? We’d make stops at Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market, tasting all the way. To burn it all off- a walk on Forbidden Drive on Fairmount Park, the largest urban park in the country. Tour the history of Old City and Independence Hall.
The splurge: drinks to end the day at the Four Seasons, 60th floor, atop the highest tower in the city- the Comcast Technology Center. The views of the city are breathtaking.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to Shout Out Chip Mahaney. The E.W. Scripps company. He has always encouraged me to be true to myself and my brand. He’s helped me recognize how important it is to have a consistent message and he’s encouraged me to share the strategy with other journalists.
Website: https://www.tracydavidson.com/
Instagram: @tracydavidsonnbc10
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracydavidson
Twitter: @tracydavidson
Facebook: @tracydavidsonNBC10
Other: https://liftingyourvoice.com/ https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/author/tracy-davidson/