About Bob Dotson
America’s Storyteller
My Story
Bob Dotson has crisscrossed this country, more than four million miles, searching for people who are practically invisible, the ones who change our lives, but don’t take time to tweet and tell us about it.
His long-running series, “The American Story with Bob Dotson,” was a regular feature on the TODAY Show for 40 years. He is now a New York Times Best Selling author and writes a daily blog which The Society of Professional Journalists cited as the “best in new media.”
Dotson is one of the most honored storytellers of our time. His reporting and storytelling have earned 120 awards around the world. They include six Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Network News Writing. Ten National Emmys, top honors from the Kennedy Center, DuPont Columbia and the William Allen White Foundation for journalistic excellence. He continues producing documentaries. His NBC production, “El Capitan’s Courageous Climbers,” won seven International Film Festivals and documentary’s highest honor, the CINE Grand Prize.
The Storyteller’s Story
Bob’s Last Day on TODAY
NBC hired a red headed kid with a different approach to the news. While
most reporters focused on life’s flat tires, that kid looked for something far
more difficult to find — what kept the other tires rolling. He worked the
neglected streets of our cities, the small towns and dirt roads, searching for
names we don’t know, but should.
New York Times Best Selling Author
Hoda & Kathy Lee Interview Bob Dotson – 2013 Book Tour
TODAY Show anchors Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford interview Bob Dotson about his book “American Story, a Lifetime Search for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things”
Wisdom
Dotson now teaches the next generation of visual storytellers, conducting workshops in Korea, Australia, England, Holland, Switzerland, and Austria. He is also a professor of Master Storytelling at Syracuse University.
Matt Lauer Interviews Bob Dotson – 2013 Book Tour
TODAY Show anchor Matt Lauer interviews Bob about his book “American Story, a Lifetime Search for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things”
Weekend Today Show interviews Bob Dotson: 2013 Book Tour
Dotson interviewed about the American Story on Weekend TODAY Show
PBS Half Hour Show on Bob Dotson – 2013
“On the Record” – a discussion about the American Story and Dotson’s life
PBS – Complete Interview with Bob Dotson
Hour long un-edited PBS interview. Discussion about the American Story and Dotson’s life. 2013 American Story Book tour, March and April
Bob Dotson Interviewed on CBS – In Pursuit of the American Dream Book Tour – 1985
Bob wrote his first book in 1985. Sent a copy to his folks. Nearly everyone in his family worried about his poor choice of careers. He started his professional life at the St. Louis Zoo, announcing an elephant act—Alice, Pumy, Trudy, Clara, and Marie.
Bob Dotson interviewed on A.M. Cleveland: 1985 Book Tour
“A.M. Cleveland” Book Tour Interview of Bob Dotson about “…in Pursuit of the American Dream.”
Australian Storytelling Workshop – 2010
Bob traveled to Sydney, Australia, to teach international journalists how to tell better stories.
Australian Speech – Bob Dotson at Walkley Foundation – 2010
Bob traveled to Sydney, Australia in 2010. He appeared on Australia’s version of the EMMYs.
MSNBC Morning Joe – Dotson Discusses the American Story – 2009
The real story of America is not what you see in movies or on TV. It is people, inspired
by a common dream, who band together to overcome great odds.
Today Show – Dotson Discusses Hour Long Special – 2009
Bob opened NBC’s first Dallas news bureau in his home laundry room. The folks who signed paychecks put in a speaker phone so he could change his daughter Amy’s diapers while on conference calls.
Boyd Huppert Interviews Bob Dotson – KARE-TV, Minneapolis 2016
America’s storyteller discusses the craft of storytelling
Dotson on Great Writing
Bob’s stories look effortless. In truth, a single story may represent the culmination of 400 to 500 tips and story ideas he receives each month. From those ideas, he may find one with all the elements crucial to an “American Story with Bob Dotson,” preferably a story we’ve never seen about someone whose struggles and achievements somehow benefit others.
How to Make it Memorable
The best stories follow a simple outline:
• HEY: (WHACK!) Get their attention. Murder mysteries, for example, begin with a dead body.
• YOU: This story may be about a tornado somewhere else, but this is how it connects to you.
• SEE: Here are the details I’ve found no one else has or if you’ve heard them before, I’m going to tell them so engagingly, you’ll want to hear them again.
• SO: This is why you should care.
National Press Photographers 1983 Workshop: Visual Storytelling tips
Bob taught the nation’s photojournalists for 45 years. This is one of his early National Press Photographer’s Workshop presentation
National Press Photographers 1987 Workshop: How to Survive a TV News Job
Tips Bob gave to the National Press Photographer’s Workshop
National Press Photographers 2004 Workshop
National Press Photographer’s Workshop Open Montage and Bob Dotson’s Storytelling Workshop
National Press Photographers 2005 Workshop
Bob taught thousands of aspiring storytellers at the National Press Photographer’s Workshop
National Press Photographers 2008 Workshop
Bob taught from red hair to gray. Showing each generation of storytellers how to make their stories memorable
Bob Dotson Daily Oklahoman 2008 Workshop
Bob teaches print journalists how to improve their storytelling
Bob Dotson’s Daily Oklahoman 2009 Workshop
Bob teaches visual storytelling at a Newspaper Workshop
2018 Storytelling Podcast
Bob is interviewed on Randy Rogers Storytelling Podcast
https://youtu.be/RLXnSiED7Do’
North Carolina University: Dotson Interview – 2015
Bob sat down with Dean Susan King to discuss his career as a storyteller and his week at the North Carolina University School of Media and Journalism as the first Stembler Visiting Professional.
Bob Dotson Performs Gettysburg Address for Ken Burns Special – 2017
Ken Burns asked America’s Storyteller to perform Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address for a documentary
Greenville, SC – CBS Interviews Bob Dotson
“Chatting with Bob Dotson” – He has been a fixture in homes for decades with his series “The American Story with Bob Dotson” where he went in search of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Bob Dotson now calls Greenville home and we are delighted to have him as a neighbor.
Daily Oklahoman Sunday Conversation with Bob Dotson 2009
Bob is interviewed on video at the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. He talks about his start in Oklahoma City and his career at NBC.
Syracuse Student interviews Bob Dotson on Citrus TV – 2016
Bob teaches a Master Storytelling course at Syracuse University each spring.
New York Film Academy – Bob Dotson Interview
Bob taught a 2015 workshop for aspiring visual storyteller
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame Induction – 2019
Bob Dotson’s induction into Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.
2000 Wall of Fame Induction – Bob Dotson
Bob Dotson’s induction into the Webster Groves High School Wall of Fame
Bob Dotson Reflects on Tom Brokaw’s Career – 2017
Bob’s Tribute to Tom Brokaw, Video honoring the legendary NBC journalist when he received the Fred Dressler Leadership Award from the Newhouse School at the 2017 Mirror Awards ceremony.
Highlights
The Statue of Liberty
Still Stands
The Statue of Liberty has been buffeted with salt water and baked with sun. She approached her Centennial riddled with rust. There are holes in her gown large enough to take pictures through. And that is what Peter B. Kaplan is doing.
AMERICAN STORIES
Million Views
Awards
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
David Seaman, Dean
dseaman@syr.edu
“The shortest distance between two people is a good story. Once I know your story, I begin to see not just how we differ, but what we have in common.”
– Bob Dotson
Meet Bob
January 23, 2023
Master Storytelling Class • Syracuse University
WHERE? Newhouse School. WHEN? Monday mornings. 8-11am during the Spring semester at Syracuse University. Enroll now.
Schedule an Event
bob.dotson@icloud.com
Contact Agent
wkabak@wskmanagementllc.com
Contact Bob
bob.dotson@icloud.com