Nexstar News Director Dies

WOWK (Charleston, WV) News Director Rod Jackson emailed the staff yesterday morning to tell them he would not be coming into work and was taking a sick day.

No one at the station heard from him again.

Jackson died of complications from esophageal cancer.

His doctors asked him why in the hell he kept on working when he should be resting. He told them, “What the hell else am I going to do, waste away?!?”

Jackson was one of those that wanted to “die in the mine.” While many would have used their cancer diagnosis as a reason to pull back, Jackson was not that type.

Those that worked for him said he was a “hard ass” but as one said he was “a respectable hard ass.” He worked hard to make people better.

On his LinkedIn page he wrote:

I proudly come to “The Chair” from the Reporter ranks.

Wouldn't trade one live-shot, blizzard, wildfire, hurricane, flood or boring government meeting for any other life-style!

Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it conversational, make it relevant to your viewers!

RIP Rod Jackson