Black Men in the Media: Dante Wilson

During a typical day at WMAR TV-2 (an ABC television affiliate) Donte is either directing one or more of their live daily newscasts; editing, writing, or producing a local commercial or special program or working tirelessly on locally produced location shoots.

"I recognize the importance of personal enlightenment in his field. I work in a field of soundbites and short clips." Donte acknowledges that this can often be misleading. "I do not like to be spoon-fed what others want me to believe. I always want to know more of the story. For me there is no better way to increase knowledge than reading." He also stresses this to his 6-year old daughter.

Donte got his start in this field in 1988 as a part time studio technician in a small market television station in Salisbury, MD. "The title "studio technician" may sound a bit glamourous" he comments, adding that in actuality there was quite a bit of studio cleaning and waiting around for something to happen.

Donte's work ethic was instilled in him at an early age by his parents. He also realized early on the impact that the media has on society. "I realized that television production was not only a way to earn a living. It was also an opportunity for him to learn about a medium that directly affects the ideas and opinions of millions of people everyday. This was something he decided to be an integral part of.

After a few years of learning the inner and outer workings of "the business", he was given the opportunity to direct. "This was a dream come true for me because I longed to be the person in control of it all; the one calling the shots." With directing experience under his belt, he decided to embrace television as a career.

This lead to a second television station in Salisbury followed by stops in Harrisburg, PA, Northern Virginia…and finally Baltimore where he is currently employed. These moves had a two-fold affect on his life. The first allowed him to realize life outside of his previous realm of experience and the second solidified his belief that there is truth to the adage that "you have to crawl before you walk." Having to work his way up from the bottom for little money has taught him just that.

"What I currently enjoy most about my career is the annual Drama competition held each February at the studios of WMAR-TV. This is where I get to take the written words of a local writer and turn it into a locally aired one-hour television show aired here on channel 2." According to Donte, "This is as close to an actual television show that you can get."

The life motto for Donte Wilson is simple, "Never allow yourself to stop learning. Once you stop learning you start limiting what you can become."

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