Carr began his career as a reporter for the "Winston-Salem Journal", before returning to New England in 1979 as assistant city editor for the "Boston Herald American" (now the "Boston Herald"). From 1980 to 1981, he was the Boston City Hall bureau chief of the "Herald American", and he later worked as the paper's State House bureau chief. As a political reporter for WNEV (now WHDH) in 1982, his coverage of then-mayor Kevin White was so relentless that after the mayor announced he was not running again, he told "The Boston Globe" that one of the things he enjoyed most about his impending retirement was not having Carr chase him around the city.