A longtime Rochester newsman and a familiar voice on public radio is retiring.
WXXI News director Randy Gorbman announced Feb. 27 that he will retire March 28 after 12 years at the NPR member station and 47 years in the news business.
Gorbman joined WXXI in 2013, overseeing daily news operations on the radio and online, as well as filing local reports on a wide range of topics.
Before that, he worked as news director at WHAM1180 for 19 years.
Earlier in his career, he worked in newsrooms across New York and Connecticut and was an editor at the NBC Radio Network.
His type A personality meshed well with his chosen profession, he said.
In the news business, “Everything is kind of all-consuming. That’s one reason why I sort of thought I want to have a little bit of time to smell the roses,” he said.
He has discussed freelancing for WXXI at some point, “but that’s something I can do more or less on my own time on the side.”
Among the things he’s most proud of is his work — and his news team’s work — during the coronavirus pandemic and the social justice protests sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and Daniel Prude.
“I was in the office pretty much every working day and many ‘non-working’ days during that period, and I was very proud of the hundreds of stories our reporters were able to put out, even when they had to file remotely due to the pandemic,” he said.
A New York City native, Gorbman was drawn to journalism as a teenager. While attending Brooklyn Tech High School, he enrolled in an “over-the-air” English class that was tied to the school’s educational radio station. “That class gave me a ‘taste’ for radio,” he said. “Around that same time, the Watergate scandal broke, and the news coverage of that really got me interested in journalism as a potential career.”
Gorbman went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a master’s in liberal arts from SUNY Empire State College.
“I have strived for our newsroom to be accurate, transparent about our processes and provide context especially when stories are complex. I hope that our reports have been useful to those in our community,” he said. “I really can’t imagine having pursued any other career with the same passion.”
He said what he’ll miss the most are his colleagues, present and past, whom he counts as friends.
“I know it’s almost cliché to say that,” he said. “But I’ve been very fortunate to work with some very wonderful people. Not just great journalists, but wonderful people.”
At times, he’ll miss the work, too.
“I’ll probably miss it when a breaking story happens and I’m not a part of it,” he said. “On the other hand, when it’s 10 degrees and there’s a blizzard, I won’t miss having to come in early or stand on a street corner reporting on it.”
During his time at WXXI, Gorbman has received several awards, including the Impact Award from Rochester Media Association and the New York State Broadcasters Association’s Excellence in Broadcasting Award.
At the same time, his news team garnered more than 70 awards, including the Edward R. Murrow National and Regional Awards, Public Media Journalists Association Awards and New York State Associated Press Association Awards.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Randy Gorbman announces retirement from WXXI News in Rochester NY
