Photojournalist Chuck Liddy Stayed In Front Of The News From Behind The Camera

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,

Published November 4, 2019 at 12:07 PM EST

Chuck Liddy stumbled into a career as a photojournalist after he found out he could walk into high school football games for free if he had a camera around his neck. But the photography enthusiast had already converted a bathroom in his house into a darkroom and enjoyed experimenting with the camera his dad had taken into the Vietnam War. Once Liddy was on staff at a newspaper, he began a career of taking risks and adopting the new technology of the day, from digital cameras to drones.

Liddy spent 27 years with The News & Observer covering assignments from hurricanes in North Carolina to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the earthquake in Haiti. These experiences gave him an understanding of life’s fragility and took a toll on his personal life, but they also allowed him to enjoy a career where no day was the same as the last.

Host Frank Stasio talks with photojournalist Chuck Liddy about his around-the-world experience and his gung-ho attitude as a 40-plus-year veteran of the news industry.

Note: This program originally aired May 13, 2019.

Firefighters battle a blaze during Hurricane Gloria.

Photojournalist Chuck Liddy covered stories about war and devastation but also local stories about the people and places of North Carolina.

Photojournalist Chuck Liddy and WUNC military reporter Jay Price embedded with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Photojournalist Chuck Liddy got on board a Ferris wheel with these long-haired teens to capture a fun moment at the North Carolina State Fair.

A boot remains behind after an improvised explosive device hit a Humvee carrying soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division in Fallujah, Iraq.

Police guard the statue known as Silent Sam on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Photojournalist Chuck Liddy got his start taking photos at his high school football games in Jacksonville, Florida. He continued to shoot sporting events throughout his career, like this UNC game against the Texas Longhorns.

Photojournalist Chuck Liddy captured the moments that memorialized Hurricanes in North Carolina and how they affected communities.