Meet the Media: Jeh Jeh Pruitt, WBRC 6 News
Welcome to Peritus PR’s “Meet the Media” series, a Q&A where we chat all things journalism, reporting, media landscape and PR...while having a little fun, too. This MTM feature is all about Jeh Jeh Pruitt, broadcast reporter at WBRC 6 who will serve as a panelist for Peritus PR’s Media Matters Lunch Panel on Oct. 24.
Q: Why does media matter to you?
A: Ever since I was a little child, I always wanted to know what was going on in the world. One of the few ways we had back then was television or newspapers. Fast forward to today, and there are a ton of different ways where you can gather information in the world. History is important because if you don’t learn history, you tend to repeat it. The media is important because it’s one of the ways we can record history and learn from it. But, you have to know if it’s good history or bad history. In other words, you have to know if it’s fake news or if it’s real news.
Q: What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the work you've done as a journalist? What about the work you've done as a PR pro?
A: One thing I wish people knew more about our job is how much we have to vet someone to run a story. Of course, sometimes, we get it wrong, but I’ll give you an example.
One time a friend of mine called me to let me know something was going down at Linn Park. Because I trusted them, I went with it on my social media. Come to find out, it wasn’t true at all, and I got in trouble because it was something that almost started a riot. I learned then that you have to vet, vet and vet again. No matter how trusted your source is, you must vet it. I want people to know how painstaking it is to get it right.
Q: What story are you most proud of?
A: Well, I am most proud of any story I have ever done that covers the community. If it's any story that some organization or some person has done to change someone's life, that's a story that I am most proud of. So, I can't pick just one. I'm just proud of every story of somebody who makes a difference in someone's life.
Q: If you were to participate in a Peritus Book Club, what book would you suggest?
A: I’d recommend the book that I'm reading right now, called The Separation of Church and Hate by John Fuglesang. Now, there are a lot of movements right now with Christian nationalism and everything. And I got to tell you, I'm a Christian myself, but this is America. America is full of different religions and different types of people. It's not just one religion, and there are a lot of people in law enforcement, in the media, who are politicians who want this to be a theocracy. America is not a theocracy. It is a republic, and of course, we need to make it that way. Just because your pastor says that it should be, does not mean you should go and make a law about it. America is full of different people and there are different beliefs, so I think that would be a good read for you guys.
Our PUBLISHED by PERITUS takeaway is this:
Jeh Jeh views journalism as a calling — a chance to inform, uplift and connect communities through truthful storytelling. His deep respect for the power of the media and commitment to getting the story right make him a trusted and respected voice in Birmingham and beyond. From covering stories that celebrate community impact to reminding us why accuracy and integrity matter, Jeh Jeh embodies what it means to serve the public through journalism — and we’re thrilled to have him as a panelist for our Media Matters event.