MARCH 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 13
JUST THE FACTS
door at a television station in Boston.
It was fun and exciting. I ran around
all day. I believed if you worked hard
you could do well. I liked being an
apprentice. I was able to figure it
out. I asked questions. I knew I was
learnable. I was fortunate to work
around smart people. I learned from
them. I watched them, I read their
scripts. And when I realized things
were competitive, my strategy was to
work smarter. I always asked myself,
how do I think about telling a story?
Why should someone hire me? It’s
not always about the fact that you
went to Harvard, but that you have
something thoughtful to say.
What were some of your strategies
for succeeding in this business? I
try to say “yes” to every opportunity.
I try to get more experience. I jumped
on opportunities to cover Haiti, the
tsunami in Japan, to do docuseries. I
always asked myself: “Is it an interesting
story? What’s my point of view?”
I don’t back away from a challenge. I
did a story on ice fishing. My husband
reminded me that I hate to be cold, but
it was amazing, interesting. I grew up
in the burbs, in a rural area, I played
in the woods with my friends.
You’ve had an amazing career.
What are some highlights?
Covering disasters, national news.
I thought the most compelling stories
were about regular people who
had great stories. I want to elevate
people dealing with real issues, like
the people who experienced Hurricane
Katrina, or documentaries
on veterans, and their thoughts on
suicide. A lot of reporters think the
highlights on their resume are the
famous people they interviewed;
not me.
What are your thoughts on the status
of the media today, especially the
whole “fake news” furor? I don’t like
the term “fake news.” I am frequently
disappointed in journalists, and how
they cover politics. Many could do a
better job. Journalists have to stop being
surprised. I am disappointed how
politics are being covered like a horse
race without context. On the political
show that we do, we put people and
politics in context. For example, on
the border issue, we want to hear what
people there say. We don’t just want
talking heads shouting at each other.
Are there any days where you
thought you might just walk away
from journalism? I love my career.
Sometimes, I don’t like the people
in it. Sometimes, I want to punch
someone in the nose. I hate shady reporting,
clickbait to get an audience.
But I understand why it’s done, but it
still pisses me off.
Who or what helped you most in
your career? So many people helped
me. I have also been a good student, a
good mentee. I listened. I do what I’m
told when you invest in me. There are
at least 10 to 15 people who were incredible.
There have also been people
who are role models for what not to
do. I found good mentors.
You started Starfish Media in 2013.
What’s it been like to be able to control
the narrative? It’s been really
fun. It took a while to structure the
company. What’s been great is to be
able to work with people you want to
work with. I get to choose the people
and create the environment. I choose
the projects. But there are challenges,
like having to have a long-term strategy,
to decide who to partner with.
What’s the next level for Starfish?
Where do you see the company five
years out and beyond? I want us to
constantly find great stories to tell over
a variety of platforms, to do branded
content, to work with companies to tell
authentic stories, to do docuseries, to
unwind complicated stories.
You are a wife and mother of four
teenagers. How do you juggle worklife
balance? My mother used to say
everyone gets the same 24 hours. You
decide how to use your time. When
my children were little, we just did
it differently than other people. We
might have been unconventional,
but everyone was valued. It was important
that everyone achieved their
dreams. It was a challenge with the
twins when they were young. Cute as
they were, it was a nightmare.
How is life with teenagers? They lecture
me about their beliefs. But teens
are easier, they are articulate, while
also more argumentative. I feel much
more engaged with them than when
they were little. It’s better, it’s more
fun now than when they were six.
When you think about your personal
and professional legacy, what’s
important to you? I don’t think about
legacy. But I do hear that some people
got into journalism because of the stories
I did. I hope my kids think I left
them a thoughtful conversation. But,
I don’t care what people say. I’ll be
looking down from heaven anyway.
Left to right: Soledad O'Brien with her kids Charlie, 13, Cecilia, 16,
Sofia, 18, Jackson, 13, and husband, Brad Raymond.
Soledad with her mother Estella and her father Edward O'Brien.
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