Disney bought her program as executives were drawn to Hall’s experience as a newsperson who could think on her feet on live TV.

“What she did was make really good choices as a newsperson inside the paper that then made the paper look professional and wise to the outside world.”

When I moved to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to take over management of our family-owned radio station, one of my first initiatives was to hire a full-time local newsperson.

She was advised by a station colleague to “sound” like a newsperson — “You know, serious,” she was told.

He added, “If a newsperson is being used to sell tickets, that’s a problem.”