Woodrow 'Woody' Baird, a dogged, straight-talking and skilled journalist who covered everything from Elvis Presley to panda bears for The Associated Press in the Memphis region for 27 years, has died. He was 77.
Baird worked for the AP in Memphis from 1982 to 2009, when he retired. He was a prolific writer who covered every type of news, from the criminal trial of former state Sen. John Ford to the annual migration of fans to Graceland for Elvis’ death anniversary.
“When it came to his reporting duties, he was just like Jack Webb on ‘Dragnet’- just the facts, just the facts, man,” Wharton told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday. “He just wanted the truth. … We might have a beer later, but give me the news right now.” At his retirement party in 2009, Baird’s AP colleagues presented him with an audio tribute with each staffer imitating his barking signature line with his loud voice when he called the AP bureau from the scene of breaking news: “This is Woody! Give me the desk!”
“Woody was a real stickler for accuracy, and he took to heart the AP admonition to be first, but first be right,” Wasson said. “I always felt confident when Woody was working a hot story on deadline that his reporting was factual and fair.”
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