Television viewers in Louisville, Kentucky, will be dropping a acquainted confront. Reporter and information anchor Dennis Ting, who frequently shares tales of prison justice — and injustice — for the ABC affiliate there, is stepping down.
Ting is unclipping his microphone to join the incoming course at the College of Virginia University of Law, which begins analyze Aug. 18.
A indigenous Texan elevated close to Rockville, Maryland, who graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, he said his pursuit of regulation might not have occurred if he experienced caught with his early fascination in writing about sports activities. An influential professor instructed he give on-air reporting a consider. He began his Tv set profession in 2015, normally covering the police and courts beat among the other matters.
“I believe likely in, staying raised in a very privileged center-class domestic, we didn’t get a whole lot of exposure to the legal justice procedure,” Ting mentioned. But reporting “opened my eyes to how it operates.”
The method is intricate, however has to be damaged down into audio bites for Tv viewers, and he has labored tricky to clarify functions and difficulties inside of the constraints of the format, he said.
“When I was starting up to feel about heading to legislation university, I believed [criminal justice] was an spot where I might make a small distinction,” he stated — even though he stated is maintaining an open thoughts as to the type of legislation he will observe.
“I’m rather open to every little thing right now, but getting in court docket is unquestionably one thing that passions me. I’ve put in really a couple hours sitting in the courtroom.”
At UVA Regulation, pupils understand from the nation’s foremost felony law faculty by means of its Heart for Felony Justice, and the university features a spectrum of courses and arms-on working experience by 6 clinics.
Ting’s initially occupation as a broadcast journalist was in Evansville, Indiana. Landing perform in tv news is a hugely aggressive approach. Ting explained he sent out about 100 purposes ahead of he was interviewed for and presented the general assignment place.
His new boss congratulated him. He was the to start with Asian American Television set reporter in the current market.
“While there, Dennis protected a vast array of troubles, which include Indiana’s controversial Spiritual Freedom Restoration Act, the 2016 election cycle and tales about puppies, since who doesn’t love puppies?” his reporting bio states.
Getting grown up in the far more various Montgomery County, Maryland, Ting stated some of the people have been surprised when he would arrive to report. The novelty of his presence meant he located himself confronted with cultural stereotypes at instances. Some viewers asked him if he celebrated the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving.
Considering that then, he has served as an anchor, in Indiana, and managed news team at equally work opportunities. He has ongoing to deal with breaking information.
In his application to UVA Legislation, Ting advised the tale of a gentleman named “Wayne,” whom he had interviewed at the scene of a fire. The man had shed his family and his house thanks to an arsonist, who threw a lit paper towel roll into their apartment creating. Ting and other folks gave the gentleman ease and comfort. Later, Ting executed an interview.
“I questioned him a dilemma I experienced requested numerous occasions right before, ‘What does justice look like to you?’” Ting wrote. “Most people would tell me their desire to see the perpetrator thrown in jail, but Wayne explained, ‘I really do not know. What does justice search like?’”
Ting said he has viewed the nature of reporting change through his time on tv. In former years, a reporter might have waited for a assertion from law enforcement to forged activities in a additional formal gentle. These days, with the immediacy of video clip from bystander smartphone cameras, viewers are building determinations for themselves.
“Especially in excess of the last yr and half, news businesses and journalists have taken a additional skeptical perspective of issues,” Ting mentioned, referencing the video clip-documented murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in Might 2020.
Though he will no extended be doing any reporting, at the very least for the foreseeable foreseeable future, Ting intends to proceed sharing people’s tales as an advocate.