In the early 1980’s a group of young journalists at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati OH had the opportunity to work with a man who is truly principled.

Nick Clooney was our news “anchor” – in every sense of that word. He grounded us in the values of honesty and fairness while keeping us from drifting off into sensationalism or silliness; he secured our passion to tell the most incisive, accurate, and compelling stories to be found in our city and beyond; and above all, he made sure we were all attached to the importance of giving a voice to those who could not speak up for themselves.

Nick ended each broadcast with the words, “For those you see, and those you don’t….” This referred in one sense to all the folks who put our news program together — including those who were not in front of the camera. But he was also talking in a larger sense about those who exist in places where the camera doesn’t often go. It was a nightly reminder that there ARE people we don’t see, people who have an important story to tell, who are suffering in silence or obscurity, and whose lives and fortunes we should never forget, even when we can’t see them.

We were fortunate to have told a fraction of those stories daily alongside Nick Clooney to the best of our collective abilities decades ago in Cincinnati. Then we took those principles with us to larger news organizations across the country and now we carry them in perpetuity, even in our private lives.

It wasn’t surprising to any of us that the values Nick made sure were dear to us he also passed down to his son.

And so it was with great pride that we watched Nick and George Clooney stand on the ground of the Sudanese embassy last week to protest the Khartoum government’s brutal treatment of its people. If any of you haven’t yet seen the documentary father and son made together, “Journey to Darfur” – find it, sit down with your family, and watch it. And then – do something. Nick’s statement to reporters as he was being led off in handcuffs says it all: “If we are who we say we are, we should all be standing here together.”

This is the man we know and love – as constant as the sun.

Thank you, Nick, for once again reminding all of us about the people we don’t see. We are so proud of you. We, that group of young journalists who stood with you then, stand with you now. And we hope all the younger journalists across the land hear the message to help rally support — publicly and globally.

You continue to anchor all of us in what is most important — those who know you and those who don’t.

This post is a collaborative effort from true professionals with whom I am fortunate to have worked in Cincinnati during a time in TV News, that still lives on. Here are some of their names: Edie Magnus, Deborah Dixon, Terri Gasper, George Ciccarone, Don North, Dennis Janson, Donn Burrows, Cecilia Turner, Grant Light, Karla Stanley, Vicki Yates, Ira Joe Fisher, Jerry Klein, Michael Benedic, Clay Wagenlander, Patricia McGeever, Harry Traynor, Toby Elder and me (Lu Ann Reeb)…and of course, Nick Clooney. See the latest on our Facebook page here.