Do you ever find yourself disgusted with the political bias and sheer depressing nature of the news? Have you been tempted to just never watch or listen to the news anymore? We could all probably answer with a resounding YES! If you have an interest in current events and want to stay informed with what’s going on in the world, you may be at a loss for news consumption. If you have wished for a quick summary of the day’s news delivered with an upbeat and unbiased style, then today’s show has the answer for you!
Erica Mandy is an award-winning broadcast journalist and former TV news reporter, and founder and host of theNewsWorthy. She combines more than a decade of journalism experience with her own voice and style to make it easier, faster, and WAY MORE FUN to stay updated with the day’s news, all in less than ten minutes. As a TV news reporter at stations across the country, and most recently at CBS, Erica was live on the scene terrorist attacks, wildfires, and federal court rulings. She left CBS to launch theNewsWorthy. Erica is passionate about providing credible, unbiased, and fun news for those who want to stay informed but are short on time and find traditional media too depressing.
The perfect intersection
Erica studied broadcast journalism in college and took the traditional path with an internship–in Missouri. She made mistakes but learned the tricks of the trade, and then moved on to a much larger news market in Portland, OR. Finally, she reached the pinnacle of the news market, the 2nd largest in the country, by moving to Los Angeles. For Erica, broadcast journalism seemed the perfect intersection of writing, talking to people, performing, making an impact, and telling people’s stories with creativity.
Getting started in Los Angeles
In Missouri, Erica was in the 138th ranked news market in the country. The move to Portland was a big jump to the 22nd largest. She was tired of letting a job determine where she would move next, and she began dating someone (who later became her husband) from Los Angeles about this same time. She decided to make the move and began emailing news directors in LA asking for interviews for freelance work. Erica knew all she needed was a chance to prove herself, so she freelanced for two years before becoming an employee. It was soon after that she quit the job to launch her “new thing.”
The launch of theNewsWorthy
After more than ten years in the industry, Erica Mandy saw how news was changing. She heard her friends say that news was too depressing, too political, and didn’t fit into their busy lives. Erica was uniquely positioned to create something brand-new that blended the best parts of news and podcasts into something quick, convenient, unbiased, upbeat, and fun. Her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, and after research and feedback, she took the risk on her innovative idea about a new way for people to consume news.
Competition among women
It’s no secret that women in TV media are under tremendous pressure to look a certain way. Erica told herself that if she worked hard and told good stories that her appearance wouldn’t matter so much. Her attitude was always that women in the business need to help, support, and rely on each other through the tough assignments and the crazy hours. She explains how she handled one specific situation of competition, but chose to believe that jealousy and being threatened means that someone admires something in you. Choosing to turn the competition into moments of inspiration and collaboration led her to ask, “What can I learn from this?”
Running on adrenaline
TV news reporters routinely face difficult and tense situations. One time in Portland, Erica was one of the first reporters on the scene of a school shooting. Doing the job means balancing fear and empathy with your work mentality and the adrenaline of an emergency situation. Erica’s years of experience helped her develop the ability to focus on the job at hand, which is to provide the community with valuable information.
Standing out in the podcast world
Podcasts are everywhere, but Erica Mandy wanted theNewsWorthy to stand out. She wanted to create something different than email newsletters that clog up people’s inboxes and something that people could listen to on-the-go in their busy lives. Most people live a “multi-tasking lifestyle,” so she wanted her news show to be “fast, fair, and fun.” In less than ten minutes, she delivers the top news stories that affect people’s lives, keeping a well-rounded and unbiased perspective. She shares the process she undertakes to sort through the relevant news stories, keeping them digestible and well-rounded, always with the goal to have people enjoy the news again.
Dealing with “fake news”
There are different definitions of “fake news.” The important thing is how to identify and avoid it. A recent study showed that false news spreads on Twitter 6x faster than true headlines! People look for shock value and for news that validates their viewpoints and they WANT to spread it. Erica says we need to be more skeptical, transparent, and aware as consumers. “Don’t assume that something is true.” Americans are not self-reflective, rational, or scrutinizing of what we hear and read. As fake news becomes a greater problem, reputable journalists will have to adjust to being transparent and up-front about reporting their stories and their sources. We will have to be more vigilant about the news we consume, knowing that staying informed helps us network, connect, and be more interesting in conversation.
Highlights of the Episode:
- 2:46 – Breaking into the difficult LA market
- 7:22 – Where the idea for theNewsWorthy came from
- 10:17 – The toughest moment so far
- 11:56 – The learning curve and giving yourself room to grow
- 13:45 – Advice for young professional women who feel the competition
- 18:30 – Incredible work in tough situations
- 24:19 – Erica’s work today: standing out in the podcast world
- 28:00 – Fake news: How to identify and avoid it
- 34:30 – Why Americans aren’t rational and scrutinizing of what they believe
- 37:34 – Opinions on the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica data scandal
- 41:11 – Staying informed to become better people
- 43:09 – Fem Five
Resources Mentioned:
The Fem Five:
1. Favorite book for women?
- Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You Are Worth by Mika Brzezinski
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- “Meditation, even if only for 7 minutes in the morning, and I try to never go more than 2 days without a workout.”
3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?
- “From my dad, ‘Trust yourself’, and from a woman who was a mentor, ‘Take initiative and ask for what you want, otherwise, you’ll just be sitting there’.”
4. Female thought leader or CEO you’re into right now?
- Jessica Weiner, CEO of Talk to Jess and Author Gloria Feldt
5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self?
- “Just relax. Give yourself a break. You’re doing great.”
Last Time on The NextFem Podcast
Using Arts to Heal Haitian Earthquake Victims – with Nadia Todres
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