Throughout changes, Anderson remains the same

By Brady Hess-September 26, 2016

 

ROANOKE, Va., - Robert Anderson did not realize when he was a paperboy for The Roanoke Times in the eighth grade that it was only the beginning of his time around newspapers. Shortly after his graduation from Emory and Henry College in 1978, Anderson began his career in sports journalism at the Bristol Herald Courier. Anderson would be a mainstay in Bristol until 2001, when he took a job as the high school sports editor at The Roanoke Times. 15 years later, he is still writing about high school sports in southwest Virginia. Over 38 years have gone by since Anderson began his career and many things have changed throughout the industry. Newsprint has turned into digital editions and news has become more easily accessible. Anderson, however, takes the same approach he did when he was fresh out of college. Thanks to Robert Anderson, athletes from all over southwest Virginia have had their stories told. Whether it was a 6-foot-3 inch freshman center from Fort Defiance High School named Dell Curry in 1978 or current Blacksburg High School quarterback Grant Johnston, Anderson enjoys telling the stories of the small town celebrities. When Robert Anderson began his career in Bristol, Gene Thompson was the sports editor of the Herald Courier. Thompson spent 50 years in sports journalism, a number Anderson thought he would not touch. Only 12 years separate Anderson’s 38 to Thompson’s 50 and there is no sign from Anderson that he is ready to slow down yet.