By Alexis Taylor
AFRO Managing Editor
Veteran journalist and news director Charles F. Robinson III died Dec. 15.
Robinson was a giant of the Black Press and a vital member of the Maryland Public Television (MPT) team.
Travis Mitchell, senior vice president and chief content officer at MPT, described Robinson as “one of the rare individuals that was able to produce content on multiple platforms, in a way that content was meant to be delivered. He could report for radio, he could produce stories for TV, he could shoot, he could edit, he could write.”
“His journalism skills were impeccable,” said Mitchell. The two men knew each other for more than three decades. Mitchell told the AFRO that Robinson was “a man of integrity, a trusted voice, with an incredible network of sources.”
“Charles was always a trusted news gatherer, but he was–most importantly for me– a trusted mentor,” he said.
Mitchell arrived at MPT six years ago. He saw Robinson take on major stories such as the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, CIAA tournaments, the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd.
Robinson’s roots run deep in the media landscape of the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. Though he was born in Richmond, Va., on Oct. 20, 1956, Robinson grew up in Baltimore. He first ventured into the media business as a member of the Black Press. The junior high school student who got his start delivering the Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper evolved into an award-winning journalist that received the National Association of Black Journalist’s (NABJ) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.
According to information released by MPT, Robinson’s path in journalism included three stops as a reporter at news stations from Florida to Ohio. In radio, he was a political analyst and news director for WEAA FM 88.9 and an executive producer for a station in D.C., TPT Radio Network.
Robinson was very active in NABJ and led the organization’s Mid-Atlantic Region. His passion for journalism even extended to his beloved Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Robinson served as editor-in-chief of The Sphinx, the official magazine of the first Black Greek Letter Organization in America.
At the time of his death, the Virginia Commonwealth University alum was an MPT correspondent for news and public affairs. He was also teaching students at Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC).
Dean Jacqueline Jones leads SGJC, located on the historically Black institution’s Northeast Baltimore campus. She met Robinson roughly 25 or 30 years ago through NABJ and said he was always an “upbeat, smart guy.”
Jones said Robinson became known for mentoring journalism students working in the SGJC building and recruiting the ones with nothing to do for trips to cover the state legislature in Annapolis.
“He would come into the digital newsroom and he might look over a student’s shoulder and say, ‘What are you writing?’…. ‘What does that mean?’ ‘What’s this story about?’ He would basically coach them through their lede,” said Dean Jones. “He would take them and introduce them to lawmakers, or to cabinet officials, or communication officers. He’d get them passes so they could sit in on sessions, and the students began to look forward to his visits.”
“He was working on a podcast with students, he was always around during election season, and always had ideas,” she said. “I saw him about two weeks ago, and he said, ‘Dean, we need to talk about next semester, and we need to talk about what we’re gonna do in the fall for midterms.’ And that was just how he was. He was always there, whether he was working for us officially, or if he was just coming through and just kind of giving us some of his time.”
Dean Jones said that as a member of the Black Press, Robinson will be remembered for encouraging African-Americans to become civically engaged and for working to “make sure that our community had everything it needed to keep people informed.”
“We’ll find some way to salute him, to keep his memory alive in the school,” she said. “Charles was a force of nature. He was always around. Always helping, always thinking, always pushing. I want to make sure that people remember that.”
