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For over 30 years Emmy winning actress Lynn Whitfield has been interviewed by national publications and television outlets eager for the details on her latest project. Whether it was live on the red carpet, via satellite, or an in-depth cover story piece, Whitfield has fielded her fair share of questions. Here, she offers tips on what reporters should do if they really want the scoop!
The day-to-day life of a National News Correspondent can be pretty extraordinary. On what’s deemed ‘good news days’ the journalist has a front row seat to history making moments or that particular day’s top story. The rush of being on the scene during breaking news, scoring that hard-to-get interview, and just barely meeting your deadline is the fabric that holds us together.
While journalist’s passion hasn’t changed, the expectations on how to do the job has. The concept of paying dues - starting your career in market 215 and working your way up to market 78, is no longer the only path to success (whatever your definition of success is) but the principles still hold true.
The value of smaller markets is the hands-on approach taken to every position. It’s where you learn. It’s where you make the mistakes that will get you fired in bigger markets. It’s where you fine-tune your skills. It’s where you master your craft that includes not just your specific job function but at least two to three others.
This is typically where the one-man-band approach to reporting is standard. As technology and the way we obtain news continues to evolve, so has what’s expected of journalists in top markets and national platforms.
ABC News Chief Legal Correspondent Dan Abrams details how the concept of one-man banding plays out on a national scale and offers tips to navigating the live news reporting scene.
XOXO,
Beshanda Owusu
We look forward to sparking real conversations through interviews from those within our community. Our hope is to encourage, teach and inspire our peers through real-life examples and sometimes raw truths designed to make us better and push our profession forward. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of this week's interview. We love to hear from you!
We caught up with Sherri Shepherd ahead of the premiere of her new Lifetime movie 'Imperfect High' where she shared with us what she took away from co-hosting the hit talk show, The View, for 7 years and specifically the profound effect journalist Barbara Walters had on her career.
Lena Pringle made waves when she rocked a natural, short hairstyle while anchoring a newscast at WJXT News4JAX in Jacksonville, Florida. She tweeted a pic of her natural style with the caption, "Shoutout to the people who told me I wouldn't be able to get/keep a broadcast news job with a short natural haircut. Jokes on you, huh?" The tweet received over 100,000 likes and has been shared across all social media platforms. It even landed Pringle an interview on The Drew Barrymore show.
Pringle isn't the only on-air talent making the decision to wear her hair in its natural form. The growing trend is being seen amongst both male and female reporters on local and national news outlets. Female journalists attending the 2019 National Association of Black Journalists convention also went viral after posting a picture celebrating 'being on-air with natural hair." Pringle was among the 25 women in the group.
Natural and curly hairstyles in the workplace is being debated nationwide as the Crown Act moves to the Senate. The House of Representatives recently announced the passing of the Crown Act that protects against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. The shift, specifically as it relates to aspiring journalists, highlights not only the need for adjustments in what's being taught to students about professional standards of beauty but also the importance of representation in all newsroom positions.
Here, Lena details the advice she was given in school about her hair and why not following it set the tone for success - one natural hairstyle at a time.
XOXO,
Beshanda Owusu
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We look forward to sparking real conversations through interviews from those within our community. Our hope is to encourage, teach and inspire our peers through real-life examples and sometimes raw truths designed to make us better and push our profession forward. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of this week's interview. We love to hear from you!
There's often a sensationalized view of on-air talent as it relates to the functions of the job. By design, the audience only views the finished product. It's glossy, it's exciting, it's perfectly put together and packaged with a big, neat bow. What's not seen is the amount of work it takes to put the package together.
We spoke with Charmaine Walker who leveraged her reality show popularity as a cast member of Black Ink Crew: Chicago to land a position at WGCI radio, Chicago's top station for R&B and Hip Hop.
Walker tells us what it takes to be successful in the position and the path that led her from Howard University to finally realizing her dream of working in radio.
XOXO,
Beshanda Owusu
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 is one of the most tragic moments in our nation's history, yet this harrowing event is largely unknown to many Americans. We talked with Emmy-Award winning director Stanley Nelson, producer of the "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre" documentary airing on The History Channel to find out why.
We caught up with Magic Mike actor Adam Rodriquez who's executive producing, hosting, and judging a new dance competition series based on the hit movie franchise. Rodriguez shared with us the elements of storytelling and was honest about why he's just transitioning into producing.
Acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) returns with another exceptional chronicle of our vibrant yet deeply fractured metropolis, Chicago. His latest docuseries 'City So Real' begins with Chicago at a crossroads, still reeling from the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and in the midst of the highly contentious 2019 mayoral election.
The series’ final episode picks up a year after the mayoral election in 2020, as the city simultaneously grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread social upheaval following the police killing of George Floyd. James ventures north and south, east and west, tracking the candidates and everyday citizens, from protests to penthouses, reflecting both the divisions that separate us and the issues that unite us.
We spoke with James from a news perspective getting his insights on how the protests were covered by news outlets and the average person's perception of the media. We now live in a world where 'fake news' is actually real. If the role of journalists is to provide the information needed for citizens to make the best possible decisions about their lives, communities, societies, and governments, what happens when that source is no longer trusted?
XOXO,
Beshanda Owusu
We look forward to sparking real conversations through interviews from those within our community. Our hope is to encourage, teach and inspire our peers through real-life examples and sometimes raw truths designed to make us better and push our profession forward. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of this week's interview. We love to hear from you!
Let's face it - newsrooms can be toxic. Most journalists can readily tell several stories of cursed- laced arguments that have taken place in the middle of the newsroom. The practice is so common, I detailed a few in my book #JOURNOLIFE where coworkers have refused to work with each other, tantrums were thrown at press conferences, and ego trips like you wouldn’t believe. Shouting matches are so enthralled in our work environment that depending on who did the shouting, it’s sometimes looked at as a badge of honor.
Every newsroom disagreement doesn’t involve door slams and shouting matches. Some are the result of lasting feuds and power struggles. A veteran sports anchor in Chicago was reportedly fired recently for saying on-air that the lead anchor could “play the ditzy, combative interior decorator” as part of a fictional DIY Network show. Apparently, this was the last straw in a string of disrespectful and unprofessional comments that created a tense work environment.
We’ve typically chalked such behavior up to being ‘part of the business. Every journalism student has repeatedly been inundated with the advice of needing ‘thick skin’ to be a successful journalist and to ‘never take it personal.’ This advice was intended to safeguard against both outside components and coworkers. But has it been used as an excuse for the creation of hostile work environments? Is there ever an excuse for rude and abusive behavior? The obvious answer is no, however destructive behavior goes unchecked in the majority of newsrooms today.
While some news directors have implemented standard codes of conduct the “it’s just a part of the business” perspective will need to change through discussion in classrooms where future journalists are being trained. Updated advice that does not excuse bad behavior and contribute to toxic work environments have to be the new normal.
Of course big egos and short tempers aren’t exclusive to newsrooms. We spoke with two of the stars of BET networks’ hit show ‘Sistas,’ KJ Smith and Novi Brown who took us behind-the-scenes of filming and shared how they’ve managed to form bonds that go beyond their on-screen characters.
XOXO,
Beshanda Owusu
We look forward to sparking real conversations through interviews from those within our community. Our hope is to encourage, teach and inspire our peers through real-life examples and sometimes raw truths designed to make us better and push our profession forward. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of this week's interview. We love to hear from you!
We caught up with veteran actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. who shared with us details on his role in OWN's new drama The Kings of Napa. The show represents a first for Whitlock who told us how aspects of his personal life made him perfect for the job.
Head over to our #JOURNOTIPS section where Whitlock shared tips every journalist can use when interviewing celebrities.
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