Hey, everyone. It's Hoda Koppi from The Today Show. This week on my podcast, Making Space, I am joined by someone I think you might know. Dateland, NBC correspondent and beloved journalist, Keith Morison. Keith and I have known each other for a very long time, and I consider him not only to be a colleague, but a friend. In this episode, we dive into everything from his early days getting started in journalism to now becoming a pop culture icon. I hope you enjoyed this sneak preview of our conversation. Keith, first of all, I just want anyone who's listening to know this. I've known you for a long, long time since I first started working at Dateland. I have to say you were one of the warmest and most kindest spirits because it can be scary stepping into this whole network thing. It struck me. I have to say, when I started working at Dateland and met you, my heart just rested because I was like, really nice, cool people work here. Tell me about you becoming a journalist because you have this, as I think one of the other producers described, you're like the Mr. Rogers of murder mysteries.

You've got that vibe I'm sorry. How did you decide this was the right field for you?

Oh, I didn't really. Mostly failed out of other fields. But to your first point, when I I went to Dateland myself. It was the same feeling because it is... I mean, what's that famous line, the TV business is a cruel money trench where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. But Dateland wasn't like that. Dateland has always been a family of people who care about each other. When you came along, everybody cared about you. I felt the same way myself. Yeah, that's Dateland. Fine. But I got into this business just because, well, do you really care? A long, long, long time ago- Yes, I actually really want to know.

I want to know. I want to know.

A long time ago, I was busy doing things other than what I was supposed to be doing at college. I was in various political clubs and things, very important stuff, but I didn't pay any attention my studies. My dean, the dean of the school I was in, said, Why don't you go away for a couple of years and grow up and maybe you should come back after that. I was insultant, of course, but I had said, That's fine. I would. I didn't have any choice. My dad was a preacher. I was let go from the school in about February. My dad was a preacher, and every spring, they would send young theology students out to the little small towns around Saskatchewan to fill in for ministers who were taking a month off. So you spent the whole summer doing that. I wasn't in theology school, but I thought, well, I've been around my dad when he's preaching for my whole life, so I certainly know what to do. So I did that for the summer. That's what made me realize I didn't want to be in the religion business. But when that was over, then I was really stuck.

I didn't know what to do, and it was too soon to go back to school. So I was sitting in my grandfather's house one day watching television, and the early evening local news came on. And this guy started reading a story about something or other. It was like a little revelation that came over me. I said to myself, I can do better than that. And so I started applying around at local TV radio stations until somebody hired me in a little radio station.

Thanks for listening. You can hear my full conversation with Keith Morison by searching Making Space with Hoda Khatby. New episodes available every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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