The Spencer Whitney Story
Spencer Whitney understands the responsibility he carries as a journalist. In an age where people just read headlines, social media follows equate to perceived value, and the truth is not that important, we have to recognize professionals like Whitney who are truly committed to their craft.
After the year I had in the SF Chronicle newspaper over a few controversial issues, one might find it odd that I would invite one of the paper’s Assistant Editors to come on my podcast. But I don’t- we’re all in this work to make our city better and if we fall on different sides of an issue, it doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the greatness we see in one another. There is definitely greatness in Spencer Whitney.
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Whitney cut his teeth as a student at Howard University while covering music, politics, and community reporting which he still loves to this day. He came out west to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley. He fell in love (shout out his partner Anitra) and has been building a career at the iconic San Francisco Chronicle.
We go into important issues on this episode: homelessness in San Francisco, shifts in the news industry, and what it’s really like for black professionals in media. We also talk about hip hop, and of course he gives his takes on my favorite topics: leadership and legacy.
In the coming weeks, I will be announcing a special live showing of Cook on Monday Morning with a celebrity guest. I will also be releasing episodes with more civic leaders, tech founders, educators, and maybe I’ll convince my lady to come on the show to talk about our relationship. She’s definitely one of my Monday Morning inspirations.
Spencer’s Recommendations
Book: Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius by Rakim