ROCKINGHAM - Award-winning journalist William R. Toler is joining the Richmond Observer's roster of talented writers. Toler, a Craven County native, came to Richmond County as a reporter in 2014. His work has been recognized with 17 awards from the North Carolina Press Association and N.C. Associated Press.
"Although I'm not from the area, Richmond County has become home," Toler said. "I've enjoyed reporting the news and telling residents' stories, and look forward to continuing to do so."
Toler’s career began to unknowingly take shape in high school when he served as squadron photographer, public affairs non-commissioned officer, and public affairs officer for his JROTC unit.
While attending Craven Community College, Toler took over layout of the school’s newsletter, The Campus Communicator, which eventually morphed into a student-run newspaper.
"Before that, I never really had any aspirations to be a reporter," he said. "I was more into filmmaking at the time, but that experience led to my career."
Toler graduated in 2004 with an associate degree in marketing and retailing, but continued to take classes and work on the paper.
His first job in the business was as a part-time circulation assistant, delivering The Windsock, the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point's base newspaper.
In September of 2005, Toler and two friends from the school paper started the Independent Register, a twice-monthly alternative news source in the New Bern area. In addition to being co-publisher, Toler was features editor, advertising director and the main photographer. That paper folded in January of 2006 due to financial difficulties, but Toler landed a job that summer in Washington, NC as a reporter with the Beaufort Observer. The following summer he was hired as a copywriter for Boomer Advertising.
Later that year, Toler returned to the news business as a production assistant for the local ABC and FOX affiliates, operating the playback system, teleprompter and audio board during live newscasts. He eventually became a video editor and even spent time in the field as a videographer.
During that time, Toler kept up his writing chops as managing editor of indieregister.com, a blog resurrection of his former newspaper.
Toler made the move to Rockingham - and back to print - in 2014. Although his main beats were crime and government, he also wrote a little bit of everything and developed a particular interest in photographing bands.
“The Richmond Observer is certainly privileged to have someone of Will’s caliber and expertise,” says RO Managing Editor Charles Craven. “His wealth of knowledge in regard to journalism in general and his recent experience reporting local news in Richmond County must be acknowledged as impressive, to say the least.”
Richmond Observer co-founder/owner Kenny Melvin noted that “The Richmond Observer is honored to have William Toler join our team. As an award-winning journalist with many years of experience, Will brings a unique perspective to our team.”
Toler will serve in the capacity of a contributing writer and photographer.
