PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT: Justin Stewart
TMP: When did you begin in the world of television?
JS: I began working in the TV Broadcast industry in 2009 as a undergraduate student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). It was there that I did my first two internships, one on campus as a student correspondent for Discover UMES and the second, was at WBOC-TV as an intern.
TMP: Was television always something you wanted to tackle?
JS: Working in the TV Broadcast industry has always been something I've dreamt of doing since I was a child. I can remember watching the news with my mom as a child and imagining myself on the anchor desk.
TMP: Would you consider your work to be your outlet to express your art?
JS: Yes, I would consider what I do to be an expression of Art. In my role, I have to think of creative, visual and informative segments that appeal to our audience. One of the things that I love about my job is that I have creative freedom.
TMP: How important is it with understanding what is and is not good television?
JS: It is very important to have an eye for what is good tv and what is not. I've had moments in my career when a segment didn't go as well as I thought but, I have learn to evaluate and learn from it. The key is to not dwell on it because tomorrow is a new day.
TMP: When did you begin with news8 and ABC7?
JS: I began working at ABC7-Newschannel 8 in March of 2013 as a Production Assistant.
TMP: How long is a normal day for you and do you ever get overwhelmed?
JS: I typically work a 8 hour day. To say that I don't get overwhelmed would be a big lie, but one thing I can say is that I have learned how to manage time. I create a "To Do List" for the day and I try to cross everything off that list before I leave the office.
TMP: How do you stay on you toes with producing segments for television?
JS: The key to staying on my toes while segment producing is to be aware of what's going on in the world of Politics, Entertainment, Medical, Technology, Education..the list of subjects goes on. I try to be aware of whats going on in the world around me and ask myself, "How does this affect the viewer?"
TMP: What is the biggest misconception about being a segment producer?
JS: The biggest misconception about being a segment producer is that I work 24 hours a day. People constantly call and send emails all hours of the day and night, but you have to learn how to "Turn it off" and have some "me time".
TMP: What message do you want you and your brand to send to the public?
JS: I want to let people know that the news isn't all "Bad" I see alot of posts from people saying "The media isn't going to cover this" or "Don't let the media fool you" or "You won't see this on the news". I just want to let them know that we do cover positive news in the community and as the segment producer my job is the network and find those individuals who are creating a positive change in the world and spotlight them.
TMP: What is next for you in 2016?
JS: My goal in 2016 is to continue to network and build relationships with likeminded individuals in the industry. My other goal is inspire high school and college students to achieve their goals and dreams by telling them my story and sharing my experiences.
TMP: What advice would you give the little boy or girl who wants to follow in your footsteps?
JS: I would tell people who aspire to work in the TV Broadcast industry to do as many internships as possible, learn how to write, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK and most importantly never give up.
TMP: Where can people find you? FB? Twitter? IG?
FB:https://www.facebook.com/justin.n.stewart
TWITTER:@ProducerStewart
IG: @just00much
