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NBC10 welcomed Fred Shropshire, previously the evening anchor at NBC’s WCNC station in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week to Philadelphia. We sat down and got to know the news anchor. Here are eight things to know about him:
Shropshire comes from a military family.
He was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, but a year later moved to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Shropshire moved to Japan in his middle school years before returning to Jacksonville.
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His father is the reason he became interested in the news.
Shropshire remembers his father’s response when he asked why he watches and reads the news so much.
“I have to pay attention to current events because whatever happens overseas affects this family," his father said.
As a military employee who was affected firsthand by global events, his father instilled in him that a news headline happens beyond your front door and is something to pay attention to.
He went to UNC Chapel Hill for broadcast journalism.
Go Tar Heels! It was here that Fred was bitten by the broadcast bug, after entering a newsroom and being in awe of how everything was done to bring people the best stories.
At the beginning of his career, Shropshire turned down a job offer with CNN at least three times.
While interning at CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, during college, Shropshire was offered a job at their national desk before he even graduated. The offer stood for three years, and he turned it down to pursue being on-air talent. Talk about good intuition!
His favorite part about reporting is meeting people.
Shropshire has been in the news industry for 23 years. He has worked in North Carolina, Chicago, and now Philadelphia. He said that the most rewarding part of telling stories as a journalist is being able to feel the “pulse” of a community, and amplifying voices that struggle to be heard.
He’s not scared of change in the media world.
On concerns that Chat GPT and AI will replace journalists, Shropshire doesn’t believe news employees should worry, but rather embrace the technological advancements.
“The journalist who knows how to use Chat GPT will replace the journalist who doesn’t," he said.
Fred believes AI could help better storytelling and sees Chat GPT as a good way to harvest story ideas, enhance pitches, and write better headlines.
He’s excited to be working in the heart of Philadelphia!
Shropshire appreciates the strong local news presence on radio and local TV. He loves the city’s history, especially in print journalism and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Three things he’s taking to a desert island.
- His family, including his wife and four children.
- Stevie Wonder’s record: Songs in the Key of Life
- An air mattress!
You can catch the Emmy award-winning journalist anchoring on evening weekdays for the 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows on NBC10.
