Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Betton Jr.
Tony, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always had a fond interest in entertainment, music, and media. We could go as far back as me being a gospel rapper at the age of nine or me first joining the media program in my high school. When deciding what I want to do in college, I knew that I was interested in storytelling, relationship building, speaking, and simply being nosy and interested (lol). So that’s what made me decide to major in broadcast journalism with a concentration in public relations and minoring in entertainment media management. Throughout school, I was heavily involved with on-campus organizations as well as programs outside of school.
By the end of college, I had a total of eight internships within different industries from media, nonprofit, education, production, radio, and journalism. I got where I am today by being unorthodox. Understanding that my journey was not to be like anyone else’s but to be different and still follow my passions. Everything I do is to inspire others and to prove that I am better than my circumstance and where I come from. I didn’t come from the best school systems. I didn’t have the best speaking abilities. I also came from a single-parent household, where we went through home foreclosure, car repossession and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But I knew that regardless of what I was going through, I was to be and do better and that’s what I did and I’m now living and continuing to follow my dreams.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, it most definitely has not been a smooth road. I grew up in a home where my mother and father were not together. I was directly raised by my mother and grandmother in Clayton County, Georgia. In elementary school, I was a kid who I guess you could say was “misunderstood” and would act out at times. I wouldn’t say that I was a bad kid, but I loved to talk (more than teachers would like), and I would look at answers to things differently than how teachers would necessarily look at them. This caused me to then be tested and we found out that I was a gifted student. At the time, I also had a very bad stuttering problem. I had trouble forming sentences and getting my point across. This, in turn, led me to not wanting to read, causing my reading level to be from 1 to 4-grade levels below my current grade. Only a few years before I graduated high school, my county had gotten their accreditation back after not having it for a hand full of years.
All of these things affected the way that I communicated, would read, and a lot of my self-esteem. But with the amazing support of my mother and grandmother, I was able to find ways to push through all of those circumstances. At the age of nine, I began a rap career, which allowed me to work on my writing skills along with music and performance. I then began to act in plays and musicals and I was put into public speaking classes. These are some of the things that allowed me to be creative. I may not have been one to write essays all the time, but I was able to write songs, scripts, speeches, and other things that allowed me to express myself creatively. One thing that I knew my dad blessed me with was the gift of communicating and simply gravitating towards any and everyone. With the support of my immediate family, I was able to spread my wings and have open arms to be able to connect with other individuals around the city of Atlanta who would later pour into me and believe in me because they see this young black kid around Atlanta simply doing what he loved to do and making an impact.
A lot of the times I was the youngest person in the room. A lot of the times I was the only black person in the room. Regardless, growing up, I was taught to be versatile. Yes, I’ve been told no. Yes, I’ve been told that I’m not doing it the “right” way. Yes, I’ve been told that I need to focus on just one thing and that I’m not able to be a jack of all trades. I took all of those things that those naysayers would tell me and I channeled that to do the exact opposite and to know that I could be one of the most diverse people in the world if I believed in myself and pushed myself to be better.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am currently living in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I work at ABC21 (WPTA TV) as a reporter, producer, and weekend morning anchor. This came after my internship in New York at ABC’s Good Morning America in production. While in school, I started my own business. When I was a freshman going into my sophomore year, I didn’t have an internship in journalism and I told myself that since I don’t have an internship yet, I will create my own. I then founded The Rep Zone Company. It’s a media company that covers red carpet and exclusive interviews as well as public relations services. Under the umbrella of The Rep Zone Company is the Lit Individual Show, powered on the Station Head digital radio platform. I’m known for being on the red carpet, telling stories, public speaking, hosting events, and presenting and writing the daily news.
I’m proud of The Rep Zone because I was able to start something from nothing and simply use some equipment from Best Buy and Amazon, connections in the city and a supportive and dedicated mother, to be able to grow my brand to great feats at such a young age, especially well in school. I believe what sets The Rep Zone apart is because it was created to spread a positive image. R.E.P. stands for representing everything positive and that’s something that I’ve always wanted to exude… positivity. Even now with working with Fort Wayne’s ABC affiliate, I pride myself and telling positive stories while still delivering the “need to know” news.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Three characteristics that I believe have contributed the most to my success would have to be; Curiosity, Dedication, and Passion. Everything that my job consists of involves being curious and wanting to know more. As a journalist, I have to be interested in the story as well as the people the story surrounds. It’s all about asking the right questions, getting the needed information, and pushing the envelope to hold the powerful accountable. I’ve always been dedicated to my work. That means wanting the product to be better than the previous one. I’ve always wanted to be better personally and to be better than my circumstance and me following my dreams is the perfect example of that dedication. Lastly, being passionate. They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. I like to follow my dreams because I believe that dreams do come true. For me, it’s never been about the money but about inspiring others and simply doing what I want and love to do. The money should follow the passion, not the other way around.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tonybettonjr.journoportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonybettonjrtv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonybettonjrtv
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBettonJrTV
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybettonjrtv/
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Meet South Atlanta Series Sponsor:
B. Octavious Sims: I am an author, screenwriter and half duo of SimGriggs Productions. We specialize in stage plays, films and just overall love what I do. I love doing funny videos and during this quarantine we went through TikTok has been my best friend 😂
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