Can an old newshound learn new tricks? Ask Arthur Kent.
As a reporter he navigated some of the most dangerous territories of the modern world. Now he's taking on another: the Internet.
The Medicine Hat -born journalist began his career at the CBC before joining NBC in 1989. There, he not only picked up his famous "Scud Stud" moniker through his ground-level reporting of the first Gulf War, he also won back to back Emmy awards for his role in NBC's coverage of the Tiananmen Square massacre and Romanian uprising.
After a public dispute with NBC, Mr. Kent quit the network and launched a successful lawsuit. Mr. Kent continued in broadcasting as an independent with his own London-based production company Fast Forward Films.
In his newest venture, Mr. Kent moves online, on what he's calling "a YouTube for serious journalism." SkyReporter.com, which launched in early March, is updated daily with a new short-film on a current affairs topic. So far, Skyreporter has focused on Afghanistan, drawing on Mr. Kent's nearly three decades of experience of reporting in the country. But if it catches on, Mr. Kent plans for Skyreporter to include video file from independent journalists and filmmakers from around the world.
Ian Daffern is a freelance writer and video producer. Visit his webiste at iandaffern.ca
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