Michael Harris

About Michael Harris

Filmmaker and network producer/photojournalist Michael Harris creates some of the most interesting television now coming out of the Pacific Northwest. He\'s made 37 films and specials in his career, winning 12 Emmy Awards and 47 Emmy nominations in 16 different categories, along with numerous other prestigious industry awards. Michael’s considered a top-shelf network freelancer, since 2002 as a Producer, Photojournalist and Wildlife Specialist for ABC News, contributing to \"World News Tonight\" and \"Good Morning America.\" In recent years Michael has been entrusted by the network as a spot news producer and photojournalist, specializing in breaking news and disaster coverage. He\'s also a regular contributor to ABC programs like \"Nightline\" and \"20/20,\" winning a 2018 News & Documentary Emmy Award as Editorial Producer for 20/20 special,\"Heartbreak & Heroes,\" on the Las Vegas massacre, and a 2018 Christopher Award for 20/20\'s \"Wonder Boy.\" In 20••••11 Michael traveled to Silicon Valley every week to produce original content for Yahoo! and its then-621 million unique users a month, including creating, writing, shooting, editing and directing weekly search trends reports for seen by over four million viewers every Friday on \"ABC World News Now,\" the first-ever trends content on network TV. His other clients have included CBS News, NBC News, VH-1, Discovery and BBC, and once was Seattle Bureau Chief for MTV News, coordinated coverage for the channel during the famed \"Grunge Era.\"In-between his assignments, Michael consulted the Pacific Whale Watch Association for five years as its Executive Director, sole administrator, conservation marketing specialist, and global media strategist and spokesperson representing 38 ecotourism businesses in Washington and BC, an industry now generating an estimated $200 million USD a year in regional economic impact.Michael was elected by his peers to three consecutive terms on the Board of Governors of the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmy Awards). His professional and charitable affiliations include: Member, British Association of Journalists (BAJ); Member, National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ); Member, British Titanic Society, Buckinghamshire, UK; President of the Board, THIS IS INDIAN COUNTRY, a Washington State 501(c)(3) charitable organization; Founder and Past President, Orca Conservancy, a Washington State 501(c)(3) charitable organization; Member, Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, a Washington State 501(c)(3) charitable organization

Experience

1. Producer, Photojournalist, Digital Producer and Wildlife Specialist

   Abc News

   Feb 2002 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Emmy Award-winning freelance Producer, Photojournalist and Wildlife Specialist since 2002 for the largest newsgathering operation in the world, including for \"World News Tonight\" and the highest-rated news program in the U.S,\"Good Morning America.\" Michael has covered an impressive range of subject matter for ABC\'s Seattle Bureau over the years, from wildlife/adventure travel pieces to natural disasters to mass shootings, and continues to be enlisted as a producing photojournalist for long-format ABC programs such as \"Nightline\" and \"20/20.\" He currently is the network\'s only Seattle-based producer.

Education

• University of Washington

  MA Political Science / Communications and Media / International Studies

• UC Irvine

  School of Social Studies

• Ohio University

  School of Journalism/Telecommunications

Skills

• Broadcast
• Leadership
• Editing
• Sound
• Storytelling
• Film
• Video Production
• Video Editing
• Public Speaking
• Video
• Blogging
• Media Production
• Film Production
• Television
• Producing
• Photography
• Camera
• Media Relations
• Entrepreneurship
• New Media
• Writing
• Production
• Copywriting
• Documentaries