Monday July 2: Producing the Tom Joyner Morning Show

Pitching stories for Jacque Reid's segment, “Inside Her Story” on the Tom Joyner Morning Show (TJMS) takes intense researching, persistence, and a humble spirit.

Observing previous members from the Reid Group, work on the morning show helped prepare me for my unexpected task to produce my first segment. I understood that this wasn't an easy job and will call for long days and late nights. 

This Monday, consisted of constant phone calls being made, accidentally dialing wrong numbers, and encounters from rude people hanging up the phone in my face. My adrenalin rushed as I continued to search for the right number; it was a strange feeling of excitement. At that moment I knew what the phrase, "hungry for more" meant because I was not giving up nor taking the word "no" for an answer. For example, while looking for contact information in Google White Pages and coming across the same name for one person, I would get out of my comfort zone and call every "John Doe" until I found the one I needed.  I truly felt like a real journalist using my research skills to find where he/she works, his/her PR, or any place that can lead me to that specific person.  A technique that worked for me was to remain unruffled and think optimistic. I never let any of my emotions or nerves get in the way of working under pressure.  I left plenty of voice-mails, sent several emails and moved on to the next person. If I wasn't able to get in contact with that person for my story, I immediately looked for a different one, instead of calling Ms. Reid with negative news. I strongly believe in my school's motto "I'll find away or make one," and so does Ms. Reid, so having a plan B, C, and D was a option.


I was able to book my guest for Friday in about a hour, but finding someone for Tuesday was still difficult. Calling back and forth, talking to lawyers, and receiving unsure answers impeded me from confirming an actual guest. So, I decided to look up one more story and came across an article that blew my mind. The article was about a 13 year old boy, named DaeQuan Morrison who published and sold his book to donate the proceeds to a cancer research center that cured his mother from breast cancer. What made this news story so amazing, was the fact that he was African-American. This eliminated the stereotypes that young African-Americans males aren't capable of doing something positive. There were multiple stories in this one story: "Breast Cancer Awareness for African-American women", "13 year old African-American scholar," and    "Family Coping with Cancer." I knew this story could impact so many listeners as much as it touched me and that's exactly what Ms. Reid looks for in her segment.


It took a while to find DaeQuan since he is underage, which also meant limited information about him would be on the internet. The only knowledge I had, was the publishing company he used, where he resides, and his mother name; Patricia Morrison. I called the publishing company but due to legal circumstances they were not able to give any information about the author, instead  "jot" down my contact and told me that they would forward it to him as soon as possible. I honestly think the receptionist pretended to do so. With no time to waste, I headed back to my most trustworthy source, Google White Pages. I typed in Patricia Morrison, location Queens, NY, and ran into two Patricia's. I dialed the first one, and a woman with a heavy African accent answered the phone. I cleared my throat and politely asked to speak with Patricia Morrison, the mother of DaeQuan.... and right before I could finish my sentence, she cuts me off and replied, "NO!!!!" "This is no Patricia, no mother to no DaeQuan, and I'm tired of people calling me asking for a DaeQuan, do not call back!" "You hear meh? I said no call back," followed by a loud click as she slammed the phone in my face. All I could do was  laugh because I assumed that other journalists were looking for the same person. So I gave the next Patricia a try, although I was little never because I didn't know what to expect this time.  The phone rang, rang, and ranged again. After 8 rings, I seriously didn't think he anyone would answer and my intentions was to disconnect the phone, right before I was interrupted by a small voice  that said, "Hello". It sounded like a young boy, so I asked, "May I speak with Patricia Morrison?" and he replied, "She's at work." Instantly my heart begin to pound fast, as I asked, "Am I speaking with DaeQuan?" and he said, "This is him." I was overwhelmed with so many emotions my because my hard work and determination payed off.  I immediately introduced myself, told him about the radio show, and how we needed him and his mother for our guest. He was extremely well spoken, and excited to be on the show.  First I informed him that I needed his mother permission, however she was at work, so I called back in about hour when she got off.  An hour passed ,and I eventually connected with the correct Patrica Morrison, she was so delighted to be interviewed by Ms. Reid and wanted to share her story about breast cancer. She was diagnosed after volunteering with a medical research study to find out why breast cancer is spreading rapidly in the African- American community.  "I believe that not enough African-American women are aware of how breast cancer is not just common for white woman but it's spreading like a wild-fire for us too," said Morrison.

After I my long conversation with Mrs. Morrison, I confirmed her as a guest and felt a sigh of sudden relief. My day was now completed and it was around 11:30 p.m. Finding a guest for Joyner is certainly an all-day task but the feeling of assuring that you booked a good one is priceless. 

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

 

Sunday July 1: BET Awards

            For the African-American community, the most anticipated award show in history, known as the BET Music Awards was celebrated today. 

            This year’s was a bit different with Samuel L. Jackson as the host. Traditionally, the BET Award’s host is a popular comedian, which ensures for a very entertaining show. When Jackson was announced as the 2012 host, many people were skeptical because of his hardcore and aggressive personality portrayed in many of his films. Sadly, I missed the opening performance because I had to take care of an important task that ran over to about 2 hours into the show. 

            I was preparing a list for potential guests for the Tom Joyner Morning Show for Tuesday and Friday. Finding a guest seems like an easy thing to do, but it requires plenty of research to obtain accurate sources and information. I’m constantly scrolling, looking, and reading various online articles until I come across one that’s attention grabbing because the key is find a topic that will be the most talked about story of all week.  Researching is a tedious job but when you’re determined to produce a great segment than the hard work pays off. The time was now 10:00 p.m. and Destinee Richardson and I accepted that we missed half of the BET Awards, so we quickly finalized our pitch ideas and emailed them to Ms. Reid. Richardson. We found 4 great solid topics (confidential) that impressed Ms. Reid. Deep inside, it felt good to know that we were capable of pitching great ideas for a popular syndicated radio show.

            I closed my laptop, grabbed my phone, and ran downstairs to the lobby to catch a few performances.  Everyone in the lobby agreed that I didn’t miss anything too spectacular; except for D’Angelo’s.  The only thing I was worried about missing, was the Whitney Houston’s tribute.  BET always does justice with musical legendaries tributes, so watching Houston’s was crucial.   Mariah Carey introduced the tribute with an emotional speech about their genuine relationship, while joking at very end. I could already tell this tribute will be a tearjerker. Monica amazed me with her talented vocals, by giving me chills, as she sung Houston’s legendary song from “The Preacher’s Wife,” entitled “I Love the Lord.  At this moment, everyone in lobby was in complete silence as tears were held back. Brandy tribute to Houston was remarkable, from the choreography, to her strong vocals, everything was perfect as she greatest hits: “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The beautiful Chaka Khan lighten up atmosphere with the song “I’m Every Woman” as we embraced the inner and outer beauty of Houston. But what stole the show was Houston's mother, Cissy Houston's traditional gospel song in honor of her daughter.  Cissy had everyone in the audience in tears, even hardcore rappers. She also touched many people from behind the television screen as many people fought back tears in the lobby. The tribute ended with the cast from Waiting to Exhale as they shared they personal memories of Houston. Honestly, the tribute was so emotional I felt like I was at Houston's funeral all over again.

        The 2012 BET Awards did an excellent job this year and I was impressed with the tribute to Whitney Houston. I'm glad that I was able to witness that because Houston's tribute wast the star of the awards.

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

           

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversation

           

         From classic vintage pieces by Elsa Schiaparelli, to modern-day chic couture brought to you by Miuccia Prada, The Metropolitan (Met) Museum of Art was no ordinary museum but an expedition into the world of two fashion icons.

         The words Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversation were written in white letters plastered on a black wall, in the entrance of the Met's Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition.  Inspired by Miguel Covarrubias’s painting for Vogue Magazine in the 1930’s, Impossible Interview: Stalin Versus Schiaparelli, hung on the left side of the exhibit.

Greeted by a large video of Schiaparelli, played by Australian actress, Judy Davis and Prada, as herself sitting at a table discussing their perspectives of fashion. These designers are both from Italy, also referred to as the fashion capitol. However, these two Italian designers were born in different eras, whose sense of fashion inspired people from all over the world.

         There are seven themed displays of Schiaparelli and Prada’s designs paired right next to each other’s throughout the exhibit. “The contrast of these two designers makes it interesting,” said Deborah Audu, an American Express employee who anxiously waited two weeks to witness their innovative work.  The Met is the temporary home for 100 designs and 40 accessories (hats, shoes and Jewelry) by both fashion icons, Schiaparelli in the early 1920’s and Prada in the late 1950’s. 

         About a hundred people filled the tightly, intimate, dark rooms of the exhibition, but that was no comparison to last year’s fashion showcase of Alexander McQueen. The number of people was triple times that of Schiaparelli’s and Prada’s per hour, with lines wrapped around the entire museum from top to bottom.

         Although, the museum is a simple donation fee, Vogue Magazine helped funded this year’s costume institute exhibition, along with Amazon and Condé Nast.  “Every year the Met Museum of Art hosts a party of the year to kick off the spring’s fashion exhibit.” “Literally it’s one of the best parties of year in New York because so many celebrities and top fashion designers come out and only the supervisors are allowed to work the event,” said Met’s souvenir shop employee, Helale.

         The title, Impossible Conversation has many meanings maybe because it depicts two different fashion icons views on the true fashion sense of fashion or just literally the “Impossible Conversation” between the late Schiaparelli and Prada.

 This concept leaves the viewers with the decision to explore through the evolution of fashion until the August 19, 2012 when the exhibit ends.  

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

        

Friday June 29: Oh how I love Fridays!

            The bright sun peaked through my window, as I woke up to stretch and prepare for a brand new day. It felt get to know it was Friday, which is also my favorite day of the week.  I didn’t have to arrive at my internship till 11:30 a.m. so I decided to run a personal errand that I desperately needed; get my eyebrows threaded.

            I walked outside, making my way down St Nicholas Terrace and was surprised to see the City Tower Shuttle Bus. I’ve been in NY for about 3 weeks and never took advantage of the shuttle because somehow I always seem to miss it. The driver yelled sarcastically, “Hey why are you walking to the train?”  “You know you can take the shuttle right?”

            I smiled and jokingly laughed, “Well you’re never here when I need you.” I hoped on the shuttle that took me to 125^th St. Train station, also right next to the five-dollar threading place.  After I painlessly got my brows down, I made my way down the corner near the station.  Timing was excellent, I made sure I was on the correct train, and I looked and felt good; I knew today would be positive day.

            Fridays at NBC are more relaxed, so I didn’t have any extreme task to do. I enter 75 Rockefeller Center, checked the board for any NY Live guest, and began to organize an interview sheet for Ms. Reid.  There were only 2 live guests, which were the judges from TLC new show Craft Wars.  Researching was not extensive because Ms. Reid and her co-host were going to do mini- craft war challenge.  Around 2:50 p.m. Ms. Reid, her co-hosts, and the NY Live production are getting ready to start the show. Normally, I watch the show on set, but went to the control room with executive producer Terri Martin. The control room had so many televisions, computers, and buttons. Also, there were three other producers in the room who help control the flow of the segments of NY Live. Watching the show from an executive producer’s perspective is very stressful because everything is on timed schedule.  The adrenalin in the room from Ms. Martin yelling and moving form one side to another made my experience exciting.  I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting the control room again to learn how to operate it. Friday was a different day, but I enjoyed every bit of it.

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

Thursday June 28: Meeting Micheal Jack

“You want to play the odds, if the odds are in your favor you will be successful.” That’s how President and General Manager of NBC New York, Michael Jack described surviving in the mass media industry.

            The Reid Group and I were able to get an inside look on the hiring process for NBC Universal Studios.  As Mr. Jack smoothly strolled through the doors of the conference room, I begin to get anxious as I kept thinking about what question I wanted to ask. But with his charming personality, he greeted us and the tension in the room was released. He handed us manila folders, to crease in half and use as name plates.  Mr. Jack was the first guest speaker to curiously want to know and call us by our names. This created a very intimate setting. He gave us a very brief bio about his life because he wanted to make sure that his time was valuable to us by asking questions.

            “We can choose a topic and talk or we can talk about my life or we can answer all questions,” Mr. Jack said. Everyone had insightful questions prepared, because we all understood that meeting Mr. Jack was a once in lifetime experience, unless you’re sitting in his office for an interview.

             I started off the discussion by asking the first question, “When hiring for a news anchor or reporter, what certain qualities do you look for?” Instead of answering my question directly, Mr. Jack went around the room and asked us what we thought. Some people mentioned, loyalty, confidence, and skills while Mr. Jack nodded in agreement.  He stressed the importance of writing, referring to it as the core of everything. Writing is a skill that is needed in the mass media industry and being fresh with your writing is essential.  He also mentioned how he receives 10 different news reels a week and it only takes 10-15 seconds to determine if he/she is a good on air talent.  I reflected back on last Saturday, and thought about my live shot performance and my first 10 seconds were horrible. I knew that I had a lot of improving to do.

            Having a conversation with Mr. Jack was motivation to help me work harder and progress in mastering the needed skills to be the best.

            “Think like and act like you’re at your next job,” said, Mr. Jack.

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

           

           

           

WednesdayJune 27: On My Way!

            There was a loud buzzing sound that came from my alarm, as I snoozed three times to officially wake up.  The words on my alarm read “Wake up and do blog,” around 5:35 a.m.; today was going to be a long day.

            I immediately checked my phone for any text messages or missed calls from Ms. Reid and opened up my computer to read important emails. My body was awake but my mind was discombobulated, without a doubt I was extremely tired.  Everyday my duty is to gather information for JacqueReid.com, check the format and accuracy while emailing everything before 6:00 a.m. There are times where I’ll go into panic mode because something may be missing or the links are incorrect and I have to constantly contact whoever is in charge of the website to send me the information by the deadline.

            Yesterday, things didn’t go quite planned as I made my way to the subway around 10:40 a.m., leaving me 20 minutes to arrive to NBC Universal Studios by 11:00 a.m.  I ran down a flight a stairs, swiped my subway pass, just to see my train depart.  I looked down at my phone and the time was now 10:45 a.m. It takes about 5 minutes to get to my destination riding the D Train, commonly known as the express train. I hear an announcement from the speaker, saying, “The next downtown train to Brooklyn is now arriving,” without looking at the letter on the train; I immediately hopped as I was determined to make it to NBC on time. 

            Before I sat down, I checked my phone one more time and it was now 10:55 a.m. My nerves began to get really bad, so I stared at the window at every stop just make sure the train was heading the right direction, until I realized that we passed 50^th street, which was my stop.  My first instinct was to panic, but I knew that would distract me from getting to NBC on time. I instantaneously jumped out off my seat to prepare to get off the next stop at 42^nd street, having no clue where I was going.  Sweat dripped from my face as I changed my speed from a stride to a light jog. I had 8 more blocks left to get to NBC and time was certainly not my friend. As bad as I felt like calling Ms. Reid to let her know my situation, I just sucked it up and ran the rest of the way like a maniac in a dress.  I finally arrived inside of NBC just to check my phone at 11:01 a.m. and a text message from Ms. Reid that read, “I’m on my way!”

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson

Tuesday Jun 26: Clem Richardson

            The book Arabian Nights wasn’t just a childhood favorite for Clem Richardson but sparked a passion for writing that turned into 30-year career in journalism.

            Richardson got his big break in the journalism industry while working as reporter at Anderson Independent Mail, The Miami Herald and Assistant City Editor for New York Newday. Things weren’t always “peaches and cream” for him, especially in Atlanta, Georgia where he also worked for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Richardson described his experience starting out in the business tough, saying, “Journalism is not everyone and if you are worried about starting out with a big salary, this isn’t the job for you. You have to be passion about writing.” Sacrifices were made, Richardson didn’t start off with a fancy car but old-school Toyota Corolla, that got him where needed to go to find a story. There was no 6 figured salary, but having a hunger for being the best journalist was enough motivation to keep him fed. That same drive that Richardson had, was revealed to him as child when he vowed to his grandmother that he would grow up to be writer with his infatuation for reading.

             Constantly moving from one job to another is common for anyone who has career in journalism. From South Carolina, Atlanta, Miami, and now New York, Richardson’s career took him to many places where he had to quickly get adjusted and prepare to get the job done. “The city will reveal itself,” Richardson said. So moving around the world was not big deal for him, as he mentioned that reporting a story required extensive traveling from place to place.  As a journalist your instincts for becoming familiar with a new setting will come naturally.

            Richardson currently works as a columnist for The New York Daily News. The luxury of his career now, is that he decides what stories to write and the deadline is little longer. Meeting the deadline is very important and beginning a profession in journalism will call for a deadline in a couple hours after receiving the pitch for a story. The environment can be stressful; Richardson described a situation where he was writing a story with his supervisor over his shoulders, impatiently waiting and yelling for him to finish the story.

            With years of experience in journalism, Richardson recently gave back to the community by volunteering his time to speak with a new internship program, called the Reid Group. He poured out so much wisdom about the do’s and don’ts of being a successful journalist.  He stressed the importance of a good lead, which can make or break any story. The lead is what pulls the reader in while convincing them that this is an interesting story. The Reid Group practiced their writing skills, asked questions, and received one on one criticism from Richardson. “You write what you see and let your senses tell the story,” Richardson, said.

            For Richardson, journalism will always have special place in his heart, as he continues to write stories that illuminates the readers mind.

✌ ❤☺-Demeshia Jackson