Spider spotlight: Ukee Washington celebrates 40 years behind the news desk
Alumni
Ulysses Samuel “Ukee” Washington III has been a journalist for 40 years. And while the 1980 alum contemplates retiring in the next few years, the thought hasn’t slowed him down. He continues to anchor, report, and represent, carrying the values instilled in him during his years as a student-athlete at Richmond.
“It all started there,” he said. “I was playing basketball and doing weekend sports at Richmond’s WTVR. We didn’t have a broadcast journalism degree back then, so I got credit for working at the station. That became my classroom.”
As the journalism world around him has changed, Washington has remained a trusted voice in Philadelphia.
Old school reporting
After starting as a weekend sports anchor at CBS affiliate KYW-TV in Philadelphia and transitioning to news with the morning and noon slots a decade later, Washington took on the evening anchor chair in 2015 with an approach that has remained proudly and resolutely old school.
“Stick to the facts. Tell the truth," Washington said. “People have so many different options now to get the news they want, depending on what type of news they’re looking for. But if you're going to last in this business, you need to keep it real. Keep it honest. And believe in your work.”
Washington aims to deliver the news with a calm, unwavering demeanor, allowing the gravity of his words to speak for themselves. After years in this industry, he said, journalism is more than his job. He has embraced this calling because of its grounding in credibility.
“I try to tell people I’m the same on the air as I am off the air, and that’s developed a form of trust,” he said. At the end of every broadcast, Washington thanks the audience for trusting him and others on the news staff.
While Washington admits he’s not much for social media, he understands the shifting nature of how people consume information and the resulting pressure on journalists to be both accurate and faster. Still, he firmly believes that the best storytelling is human.
“When you’re telling a story, you don’t just read it. You have to feel it,” Washington said. “That connection matters. People can tell if you believe in what you’re doing.”
Washington has brought that belief to countless stories, from breaking news and political coverage to feel-good features and community outreach. He recently joined Philadelphia’s transportation authority in a recruiting push, learning to drive a bus in a demonstration that encouraged others to consider a career behind the wheel. “If I can do it, you can do it,” he said.
He also makes time for stories that come with a lesson. One that still lingers in his memory involves a childhood friend, a high school track star convicted of a domestic homicide. “He ended up doing a program similar to Scared Straight to keep kids out of prison,” Washington said. “I told his story and the story of the young woman whose life was taken. It was a heartbreaking event all around.”
The vulnerability he brings to his job highlights his professionalism. Washington, reporting from inside the prison, didn’t reveal his connection to the story until the end.
Prepared for life
During his tenure, he has been on the front lines of countless major stories originating from his Philadelphia hometown, including the Democratic National Convention in 2016, a visit by Pope Francis, and Hurricane Sandy. His talents have earned him numerous honors, including induction into both the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame and the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia’s Hall of Fame. In 2017, the city council named him a "Living Legend" during its special Black History Month observance.
Along the way, he’s dipped his toe into acting with bit roles in Unbreakable, Signs, and The Manchurian Candidate. “It’s a creative outlet. I’m always playing the journalist, so it’s a stretch, if you will,” he said with a laugh. Perhaps that talent runs in the family. Washington learned from his relatives in Virginia that he is a second cousin to two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington.
As a student, Washington said Richmond’s liberal arts foundation shaped his writing skills and sparked the critical thinking necessary to break into the business and grow with it over time. “Richmond taught me how to write, how to communicate, and how to carry myself professionally,” he said. “And when I was sweating through that first broadcast, because someone forgot to tell me how the teleprompter worked, I didn’t quit. I came back for the 11 o’clock news.”
Washington returns to campus when his hectic schedule permits. His pride in his alma mater runs deep. “Richmond prepared me for the most important game,” he said, “and that’s the game of life.”