How a former USA Today columnist launched his own travel channel on YouTube

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These days, every audio podcast has an accompanying video podcast, but Jefferson Graham was hosting video podcasts before the term even existed. In 2006, he started co-hosting a show with another USA Today colleague who lived on the opposite coast from him, and they'd physically FedEx the tapes back and forth so they could be edited. Jefferson then went on to host several video series for USA Today, including one where he'd interview celebrities about their favorite tech.

In 2021, after 30 years at USA Today, he decided to take a buyout so he could launch PhotowalksTV, a YouTube travel show where he'd visit different cities and instruct viewers on the best spots to take photos. In 2024, he signed a deal with Scripps News to broadcast the show on its FAST channels, and now new episodes air every Sunday at 10 am.

In a recent interview, Jefferson discussed what it was like to host a podcast when nobody knew what a podcast was, why he took the buyout from USA Today, and how he generates multiple revenue streams through his YouTube channel.