Norfolk Newscaster Barbara Ciara a News Junkie With more than 20 years broadcasting experience and Beginning her career in Tucson, Ariz., Ciara was not only the youngest female, but the first African American as well, to achieve the status of news director in the Southwest. Ciara has worked in every aspect of broadcast journalism as well. From technical and audio, to production, broadcasting and management, Ciara has experience in all aspects of the media. Ciara has not only received prestigious awards, such as an Emmy, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for her work, but she has also been awarded with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences. An interview with Oprah and various travels such as Cuba and Haiti during Operation Desert Storm are only some of the exciting experiences Ciara has had. In addition to her extensive journalistic work, Ciara strongly believes in giving back to the people. Ciara’s free time consists of volunteering for organizations such as The American Red Cross, The American Heart Association, Habitat For Humanity, The American Cancer Society, The Boys and Girls Club just to name a few. Ciara is currently the evening news anchor and managing editor for WTKR Newschannel 3, based in Norfolk, Va. She has succeeded in her work thus far, and continues to make her mark everyday. Here are some selections of questions and answers from an interview done by Holly Witte with Barbara Ciara on Mar. 10, 2006. Q: Was broadcast journalism something you always knew you wanted to do? Or how did you decide this was the job for you? Ciara: I call it a happy accident. I always wanted to be a print journalist. And so when I was studying at the University of Arizona, I was specifically geared towards writing for a newspaper. What ended up happening is, a friend of mine said, “Were you looking for additional part time work?” and I said, “Yeah.” They said that there was a part-time opening for a production assistant at one of the local television stations, and I said, “ I would go for that, that would be great experience.” Once I did get in, it was like a bug bite me, and suddenly I was interested in that end of journalism rather then the newspaper. Q: What were some of the challenges (if any) that you faced when you first started getting into this career? Ciara: Well, you know, I think that your generation has a distinct advantage because basically many of the women who came in the ’70s, kind of bared the brunt of a lot of the “old boy’s club,” of saying that women really weren’t credible journalists on the air. So there was a level of difficulty, I would say that my gender was more of a problem then my race in the ‘70s, because there were very few women in the industry, and those who were in the industry were very often relegated to doing feature reporting and that kind of thing… Q: I read you began your career in Arizona, what brought you to Hampton Roads? Ciara: Well, the old quest for a better job. I had been in that market for 5 years, and I had done rather well and gained a lot of experience, but since it was an independent television station, they had the option whether or not to do news. And so the old general manager and owner said that he wanted to basically disband the newsroom in favor of doing other programming… And so he said, “Barbara I would like to keep you on and we can find another assignment for you,” but I said “no I really want to do news.” And so I started looking for another job and started sending out resume tapes, because that’s what we do in the industry. And at that time I had a nibble from Wichita, Kan., so I had an interview there…but it wasn’t a good fit. So the next opportunity came in Norfolk at WVEC and everything seemed to gel… Q: I know you received an Emmy for “Guilty Til Proven Innocent,” what was that like? Ciara: Actually it was just a labor of love, because the individual that I interviewed had spent almost 10 years of his life behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. And so when we started doing stories on it, I grew more and more interested in it because at first you’re skeptical, “were you really innocent?” And then when the DNA evidence ruled him out, it became a passion of mine to complete that assignment and follow him all the way to the release, and when he finally came home, and when the General Assembly awarded him some money for being wrongfully imprisoned. And so whether I had gotten that award or not, I just felt it was a good work and an important story to tell. And at that time we were just starting to see the benefits of DNA testing in association with some of these cold cases… Q: I know you have traveled extensively to get the story, like for example Cuba during Operation Desert Storm, what assignment do you feel was most interesting or exciting? Ciara: The next one, because they are all really exciting. When I went to Cuba, there was an uprising so there were Cuban refugees who were losing their lives by trying to swim over to Guantanamo Bay in order to have a shot at living in a republic, rather then this oppressive communist country. And so you heard all of their stories and there were people actually in the refugee camps trying to give me numbers of relatives so that I could contact them when I got back to the states. And it was just such a desperate look at how another country, people just like you and me, how desperate they are to leave, because they know here they can do much better…In Saudi Arabia when we were there for Operation Desert Storm, it was scary. It was pretty darn scary. There were scuds that were falling, all the time. They told us at the time not to say where we were, but they knew where we were because the scuds were dropping where the base was…It was one of the very few times where I came back from over seas and literally kissed the ground when I came back. Q: I know that before June 2000 you were with WVEC 13 before you came here, was the transition difficult or how would you compare the two? Ciara: Well, you know I’ve had friends at all the stations throughout the years here. But this was different because I knew fewer people here at Channel 3 but I still had a few friends over here. The transition if it was difficult at all was the one year I had to sit out. I never had to sit out before. And because we have a no compete clause, I guess in athletic terms they red shirted me for a year. I had to stay off the air for a year because the previous contract that I signed said that if you go across the street you cant go on the air for a year. So I explored doing what I did over at 13 and that was being a managing editor, approving scripts, attending editorial meetings, and running inside the operation. So that was hard because stories that would pop up I was chomping at the bit because I wanted to do them… Q: I read over “The Day in The Life of Barbara Ciara,” online, is that like a typical day for you, always constantly going, going, going? Ciara: Oh yes. It seems like you are sitting down answering e-mails, checking your voicemail, there is an editorial meeting, then you have to tape the topical, then you’re back in looking at scripts, and before you know it you are supposed to run out and be on the air at 5 o’clock. So it’s a bit of a ballet, you know you have to dance around and try to get some things down, quickly. Q: What would you say the most motivating factor behind all of your extensive volunteer and charity work is? Ciara: Oh, well, I mean, I’m sure your parents feel the same way I do about, to whom much is given, much is required. And besides which, the thing is very often we have an opportunity to go out and see what’s wrong with the world, and so you may want to spend some of your time trying to make it right. And so I enjoy working with the various non-profits and charities because I really feel like private organizations do a lot more to enhance the quality of like in the community rather then government aided programs. And I enjoy it, I get to meet people that I wouldn’t ordinarily meet…So it’s enjoyable for me even though I know we are doing good work, its a lot of fun too. Q: What do you think it is about your personality that lends itself to this career, and what are your strengths and weaknesses (if any) that you feel you have? Ciara: Well, I can speak to my weaknesses, in terms of the strengths I leave that to others to judge you know. The thing is I think, my weakness is that over the years I have been so focused on my career that there were times that I probably didn’t spend as much time with my family as I should have, so I think that that is a weakness. I’ve learned how to juggle a little bit better the two though… Q: Do you think that that is a norm within the industry? Ciara: I actually think that some of the people coming into the industry today have a more reasonable expectation of the balance of career and family. When we were coming in it was like you better focus solely on this, and nobody is going to hear any excuses about a baby sick, or don’t come here with your family issues, because it wont be tolerated, and you are not going to compete on the same level as a man. So today women come into the broadcast journalism industry with an expectation that they can do both career and family, and that is being respected. There has been a transition in this business, and others, that allow you to lead a normal life… Q: What, or who would you say has been the biggest inspiration throughout your career? Ciara: Lots of people. I think that, my grandmother used to tell me this story about how she said that children are like lumps of clay, everyone who touches a child, leaves an impression, and I think that that’s true, because there are so many wonderful people who have come across my life and they have kind of motivated me in a very positive way. So it may not be just one individual, certainly my mother and father, are great inspiring influences in my life, even today as old as I am, because I still call them and get their council. No matter how old you are, you’re still going to call them… Q: I read that you had a 1-on-1 interview with Oprah, and I might be one of her biggest fans, what was that like? Ciara: She was amazing! There is the picture of us. First of all I was thrilled to pieces that they would allow me to come there and interview her. I stayed all day and sat for 2 tapings, and she just has such a sense of self, and such a wonderful attitude about life you know. At that time she was engaged to Steadman, so I was probing her about whether or not they were going to get married, and she was kind of like rebuffing me, but in a very cute way, a very pleasant way. And, at first, I will be honest, when I first got there, I watched how she interacted with staff, it was kind of, it was just this strange environment where you have people coming at you putting powder on your face, another person had some kiwi and was actually spoon feeding it to her, and I was kind of like “what the heck is this, its kind of like ‘Diva Central’ up in here.” And so I just thought it would be a little more grounded, but there was a flurry of activity that I was just sort of taken aback. Once I sat down with her and started talking to her I realized that while she may be in this very surreal environment, she seemed to be keeping her feet on the ground, which I thought was good… Q: I know that you have worked everywhere from audio and technical aspects, to on-air and anchoring, are there any “untapped” areas that you haven’t got into that you are interested in, or do you think you have found your place? Ciara: I still want to write for a paper someday. I really do want to write, the problem is when you write for broadcast its such a different writing style then writing for a newspaper, and that was so long ago that I wonder whether or not I could make that transition. But, someday, I’m thinking I might have a column… Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Ciara: I see myself still in the business, but let’s see, I think that, I feel like I’ll still be in the business. You know people have asked me that, and there have been times I’ve been very tired and I’ll go, “maybe I’ll do this for another five years then I’ll get out,” but I knew I’d still be in the business… Q: What advice would you give to any student who is interested in going into this area, specifically broadcast? Ciara: Well, I would say that the main focus has to be the storytelling. If you tell a good story, if you get the facts right of course, you know do all the ground work, a lot of the research too, research is very important, you have to stay focused on making a good story. For example I sent an intern out to a council meeting, and nothing is more boring then sometimes going and watching the government work right. And I said to her, “ what was the most interesting thing that happened.” And she said, “I don’t think anything interesting happened.” And I said come on lets go back and look at the tapes, there had to be some image that stuck in your mind. And she said, “No, no I promise you, I sat there for 2 hours, and nothing.” So we go back and look at the tapes, and the photographer kept going over to a councilman, who was slowly falling asleep. He would shoot a speaker, and then he would go back to that councilman. And so I said, “this is what you, this was the most interesting thing that happened.” This meeting was so boring, that even the councilman fell asleep. And so we started off with him nodding off, a couple of things, you know, and then going back and putting a time code under when he finally just passed out. And it made for a really good story. Because you know all of a sudden people had a new concept of that boring meeting. The thing that was the most interesting, was watching the lawmaker falling asleep during the making of the law. So you never know what is interesting unless you look at it with a whole new set of eyes. So as you approach a story don’t come in with your mind made up already, be a real open book, be a blank page. And then that way you will be able to receive, you know that nugget, that you can hang your hat on in the storytelling. Q: How has this job affected your public image, do people treat you like a celebrity when you are around? Ciara: Sometimes, and I still think that is bizarre. I’ve been on T.V. since I was 19-years-old, so I’m pretty used to it. The thing is it’s still weird because you don’t know If someone is saying “hi” because they really met you at some point, or because they recognize you, so there is that moment of “I'm not sure I know you, but I’ll say ‘hey’.” I still have a little bit of uneasiness about the so-called celebrity thing, it sometimes gets in the way of a story. Because, newspaper reporters have anonymity, they can slink into a room, make observations, report on things, and you don’t know they are there, you know. When we come in we have to come in with our camera and all of that, and then add to the fact they might have seen you on T.V., and sometimes their behavior can change because of that, and you may not be getting the essence of it. So what I ended up doing is, if i'm going to interview somebody for the first time, and if I think that they watched a lot of television, I will sit down and talk with them for about 20 minutes, until we’re not talking about me. We are not talking about me, we are talking about you. And when I get them into their comfort zone where they are no longer affected by this so-called celebrity, then they will tell me their story… Q: Is the evening news your favorite time of day, because I know you have reported different times in the day? Ciara: This is my favorite time. I’m a vampire, my husband calls me a vampire. He can’t stay up. I’ll go home, I wont go to bed before 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. You know I leave here at midnight, I’m still up, TiVo, you know I’m watching, then I’ll get up early and start doing CNN and MSNBC, FOX News, blah, blah, blah. You know I’ve been a news junkie for such a long time that that shift suits me. Q: What advice would you give to students about interning in this business? Ciara: Ok, well, I’m the head of the intern program here, so I can tell you that you have to be a self-starter. What we end up doing is sort of like an experiment, to see just how devoted and grown-up our interns are. For the first two weeks, we put them on the assignment desk, that way they get a chance to know what the whole heartbeat of the news operation is. They get a chance to make police calls, get to know those contacts by answering the phone. Getting a sense of who all of the players are in the newsroom. Getting a chance to know all of the photographers. Then after that, we find out what their interests are. Like for example, this semester we have someone who wants to do the assignment desk, we have someone who wants to do production, so we fanned her off into production…And others want to report, and for them, writing exercises is what we do with them. But, when you go with the crew, you have to write that story as if you were covering it…But if they sit around and waste time or they aren’t motivated, they wont get the chance to go out with the crew. So ok you have to hook up with them, and make sure you know. I’m going to tell them you’re coming, but if you sit around and wait for them to come pick you up, it’s not going to happen. And if they get left a couple times, they understand. Because when it happens it happens fast…So the best advice is to be very assertive, ask lots of questions. You are going to get ignored some people are going to blow you off, but keep coming because that is what is going to make the difference between you being successful in this business and not. You know you have to learn how to knock on doors where you don’t know who’s behind it. You know so you have to be brave…But you are going to learn something from them, and they are going to learn something from you, and each story is a growth spurt.
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numerous awards under her belt, Barbara Ciara is an experienced and knowledgable figure in her field.