Leon D. Bibb

2011 Honoree -- First African-American Prime Time News Anchor in Ohio

Whether television journalist Leon D. Bibb is discussing local politics or events unfolding on a world stage, his Cleveland viewers are assured that he will deliver the news in his precise voice of authority.

Bibb, who joined the airwaves three decades ago as Ohio’s first African-American prime time anchor, takes in stride his long career in an industry that saw few men or women of color in front of the cameras. He currently anchors the noon and 6 p.m. broadcasts for Cleveland’s WEWS NewsChannel5.

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Bibb’s other broadcast experience includes working at WKYC-TV 3, Cleveland’s NBC affiliate, where he held several positions, including news anchor and general assignment reporter. Before joining WKYC in 1979, Bibb was a weekday anchor and reporter for WCMH in Columbus and a news reporter at WTOL in Toledo. He began his journalism career as a reporter for The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland.

"I feel like the Jackie Robinson of television," said Bibb, referring to the legendary athlete who broke professional baseball’s racial barriers. "I know he was a pioneer, but also know he was a baseball player. He had to deal with racism and he had to hit the ball."

Bibb, in his own right, has hit more than a few home runs during his tenure. His journalism achievements include covering the Persian Gulf War, interviewing President George H.W. Bush, and interviewing Neil Armstrong 10 years after his historic walk on the moon.

Equally significant was Bibb’s interview with James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bibb believes he may be the only local television news reporter to have interviewed Ray, who died in 1998.

Although Bibb entered television journalism during the post-civil rights era that demanded a greater presence of minorities in the media, he explained that he has always sought to cover issues beyond the black community. His career achievements have been recognized by several broadcast and print halls of fame, and he has received several Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Cleveland Press Club. Bibb also is a recipient of the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Cleveland Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Despite the digital technology driving today’s news media, Bibb believes that the public’s thirst for news remains.

"In a free society we need to know what’s going on, whether it is in our government or our neighborhood," he said. "From the time of the early colonies and slave cabins … anytime humans get together, there’s news, and journalists are the storytellers of the day’s events. We all want to know what’s happening next door."

Bibb believes, "The true wealth of a nation is not its gold or silver, but the knowledge of its sons and daughters."