Randy Douthit is a decorated and accomplished television producer and director who has been in the industry since the 1970s. Having had his television passion since he was a little boy, he set off his career at 23 after graduating from Stanford University.
While he has numerous works and accomplishments, he is commonly known for his work as director and producer on ‘Justice Judy,’ an Amazon Emmy award-winning television show about a family judge deciding on cases. He even described it as his best work and Judge Judith Sheindlin as someone he would never tire of working with.
He has also worked in numerous places holding different positions like KGW, a TV station in Portland, Oregon, CNN, and Quincy Jones Entertainment. His first job at KGW saw him mowing grass for several summers before he got to fill in as director and take on more serious roles.
Some projects he helped create, direct, or produce include ‘How Come,’ Seattle Today,’ ‘Capital Gang,’ ‘Crossfire,’ ‘Larry King Live,’ and ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’ While all the shows were successful and helped grow audiences, some films and television shows won Peabody and CableAce Awards.
Having been in the industry for decades, Randy Douthit has witnessed many changes in television news. While the evolution has presented new opportunities, like the availability of Amazon Freevee, an Amazon streaming channel, it has resulted in many negative changes in the television news reporting sector.
Douthit says that news has drastically changed since the 80s, with many stories today coming from tabloid sources, primarily using questionable news sources. That has resulted in lower importance when it comes to looking for facts.
According to him, tabloid news is any source that thrives on reporting car crashes, seamy scandals, murders, and other click-bait stories. He says that one of the main reasons news sources do this is because they want advertisers, so they usually use such news to attract viewers.
Randy Douthit also agrees with an analysis by Neil Postman, stating that mediums like television can sustain only certain idea levels. Postman also states that mediums like television hinder rational argument and present daily news like packaged commodities. Therefore, they de-emphasize information quality, focusing on the viewers’ entertainment needs.
However, Douthit believes people can still use television for good and is expectant to see the developments awaiting the industry in the future.