It was well-noted–and appropriately so–when Mike Deeson, the veteran investigative reporter for 10News WTSP, abruptly retired this month. He says he’ll finish a book about his years behind the microphone and stay involved.
For 35 years the Chicago-area native had embodied the prototype of the gumshoe reporter holding people, typically public officials, accountable on camera. It worked, and he has the Emmys and Green Eyeshade awards to show for it. Deeson, 68, also has a Society of Professional Journalists’ Florida Journalist of the Year (2015) award–and arguably the respect, even if begrudging, of those he held accountable.
He was still old school, even as media curricula evolved. He was still old school in a world increasingly dominated by internet technology, cherry-picked partisans, show-business optics, alternate facts, fake news, political-agenda diversions and professional spin meisters.
He was also a reminder that what you see–on camera–is not what you necessarily get off camera. While Deeson could hearken back to a Mike Wallace ambush in a parking lot, he was 180 degrees removed from that persona off camera. He’s been called “one of the good guys” for his accountability-driven work ethic. Well, I can tell you personally that Mike Deeson is also one of the nice guys.
I’m also glad he’s not done contributing.