Media Spotlight: From Host to Executive Producer

When I was a kid, I would look at the television and wonder how the people got inside the video box I had my eyes glued to most afternoons. As I got older, my fascination with television grew and I loved all the different characters that became my ‘imaginary’ friends from sitcoms, dramas, soap operas, movies and news programs. They were larger than life.

When I entered journalism school, I had the same career aspirations as 99% of my classmates. I wanted to be a reporter because that’s all I saw on TV. But once I got into my program and learned how to shoot, edit, produce and write, I was able to see all that goes into putting together not only a news program, but anything on television. Of course, this is the case with a lot of industries, the people up front are what people see and so the jobs behind the scenes are not given the shine. My last webinar series was called Media Gatekeepers - it pulled back the media curtain for attendees to meet and hear from the decision-makers: producers, news directors, etc (read my May blog for a full explanation).

Next month, my webinar on August 4th will be Media Spotlight with Arisa Cox, Host and Executive Producer of Big Brother Canada - a superstar in front of and behind the camera! Arisa has hosted the popular reality show for 9 seasons and is heading into the tenth! Last year, she was named Executive Producer. This last point is very important: Executive Producer. However, I’ll return to that point shortly. Arisa has an incredible media journey that will be helpful to anyone who wants get in front of the camera. I first met her at Toronto 1, she was a reporter and I was a producer. I instantly loved her energy and enthusiasm. I don’t want to reveal too much about her career path as she’ll tell her story at the webinar. What I will share is that Arisa has been on some of the world’s most famous red carpets, reported for major national networks and was a reality star once upon a time.

Oftentimes, people would say to me, I can be on TV, put me on! I, too, thought it was that simple until I tried to read autocue and was tripping over my words. I have the utmost respect for on-camera talent because - if they are good - they make it look so easy. That’s why everyone thinks they can do it. Arisa is one of those people who makes it look easy. Know this - she has put in the work and still does. Which brings us to the Executive Producer title. Again, I’ll let Arisa tell her story. What I will say is that this is a big deal for Black people in Canada, especially Black women. Media outlets across the country had to take a hard look at their gatekeepers last year after the murder of George Floyd. They had to finally recognize that despite some (and I use that term generously) diversity on the frontlines (tv screens), there was a void behind the scenes, especially in upper management or decision-making roles about content. I could go on and on about the need to have a wide range of voices at the table when media is being created for the masses. We all can agree to that now, and we have to move beyond it and put words into action.

This is the time. Change is happening. The media spotlight is on.