Lester Holt relies on some of the skills he developed in one of the earliest points of his career.
The NBC News veteran started on radio and was known as “the fastest microphone in the West” when he was once working at the San Francisco station KCBS. Now he’s back to audio with his first original podcast series. In “The Last Appeal,” published as the latest podcast from NBC News’ Dateline, Holt examines the case of Robert Roberson, Texas, who is due to die on October 16th after his 2-year-old daughter died of brain damage.
“A rocked baby may seem like a clever sign, but it’s not necessarily,” Holt says in a recent interview. Four episodes scheduled to air Monday in the course of “The Last Appeal.” October 6th to Thursday, October 9th – Holt investigates the case and pursues the chief detective who believes he has made a mistake.
For Holt, the project is a reminder of the value of journalism’s sound and conversation after years of being one of the most recognizable faces in the visual medium. “I use a variety of muscles and I’m learning a lot. I’m still a TV guy, but like many TV guys, I can see the future,” podcasts and audio work.
Holt traveled to Palestine, Texas, to talk to the principals and experts of the case, and found himself in favor of telling real stories of celebrities he has acquired over the years. “I knocked on some people’s doors,” he explained, and one woman called out to her family after seeing who was visiting. “Lester Holt is on our porch!” Still, Holt says, “She ended up being an important interview.”
Certainly, the absence of the camera may have helped. Interviewees may feel less threatened, he says, and there is less need to play or play. It leads to deeper conversations podcast listeners may cherish. “Many of that is healthy,” he says. Listeners point out that his car starts when the door to his car is slammed and his car starts when he prepares to meet people for an interview. “It’s audio, but it’s a very effective way to storytelling,” the story says, “a great way to bring people to the heart of the story.”
Holt hasn’t broken the visuals of the news. After leaving the anchor job on “NBC Nightly News” earlier this year, he still hosts “Dateline” and has done some stories for its long-term franchise.
Holt’s investigation into the Roberson case actually shows his latest dive into criminal justice. He is a topic he considered in several points of his career. Longtime viewers may recall that he spent three days and two nights inside Louisiana State Prison in 2019 for a “dateline” special where viewers rarely saw the prison’s high-risk criminal unit. He also presided over the Criminal Justice City Hall at a Singing Correctional Facility in New York. Dan Slepian, a veteran “Dateline” producer who worked with Holt on some of his previous reports, is involved in the current podcast.
Looking at issues related to large-scale incarceration, Holt often discovers compelling stories. Those who view the report say, “Will this make us all safer? That’s really what we want,” he says. Moreover, many of the subjects at the heart of such stories do not always speak up when discussing them, and he appreciates the opportunity to showcase those who are not always allowed to contribute to discussions on bigger issues.
After leaving “every night,” Anchor “takes summer” – something he couldn’t do for years – and learns to decompress a bit. “I’ve learned to get through those news-speed moments,” he says. He had to figure out whether he had to fly to cover the national story of imports. Someone else is under surveillance, says Holt.
Now he’s thinking about other projects he could work on for traditional “dataline” reports and other NBC news venues. “I’m wide open to ideas,” he says.
