Who are you and what do you do?
Hey! I’m Ahsante and I do Editorial and Operations for PBS Digital Studios. On the one hand that means reviewing videos and giving feedback to our producers, on the other hand it means I make sure everyone gets paid.
What does an average day look like for you?
My days are pretty different since I’m a catch-all person for tasks that crop up, and most of my usual tasks go by a weekly or monthly cycle. Most of our producers upload Tuesday-Thursday, and those days I spend a lot of my time reviewing rough cuts, checking sponsorship messaging, and reviewing the final uploads before they’re published. Mondays I check in with producers, make a rough upcoming schedule, and work on social media video assets. Fridays I usually have more time to work on analytics reports, process invoices, and catch up on anything outstanding. If it’s the first week of the month, I’m mostly working on revenue reports and billing.
Where do you personally see PBS Digital Studios going in the next year, next 3, 5 or 7 years?
Mainly I see PBS Digital Studios expanding. I’d love for us to be able to be more involved on twitch, facebook, instagram, and creating videos suited to the styles of those platforms in addition to YouTube. I would love to see more member stations as excited and involved with digital first content as they are about broadcast content, and PBSDS can help in getting that ball rolling for stations looking to become more active. And while right now Digital Studios content is very science-heavy, I’d love to see us branch more into arts & culture, social sciences, technical topics like engineering and finance, and current events.
What's your best professional fist bump and face palm?
Facepalm: I’m someone who thinks a lot before they speak, but there was one situation in particular that in hindsight I wish I had spoken up. There was a series I was working on, and I didn’t appreciate how race was being treated – I felt like black characters were tokenized and being made to stand in for all POC. It seemed like other races were only included as exotic cultural learning experiences and not as, you know, normal people. I wish I had taken the time to unpack and express those feelings, especially since I was the only non-white person in the room, and they probably wouldn’t see the pattern. But since I was relatively new to the project, I had no rank, and was there more to listen and take notes, I brushed those feelings aside. It was a missed opportunity.
Fistbump: A big highlight for me was speaking at VidCon this year in both a personal capacity and representing PBS. I was invited to speak before joining PBS because of my personal YouTube channel, and then getting a position where VidCon was a part of my job felt like my life really came into alignment. I spoke on 5 panels, moderated one of them, received positive feedback, and got to hang out with online friends and work colleagues alike. And speaking on themes of diversity, fostering creative community, and working in online video, aligned with PBS’s work as well as my own. It was one of those moments that makes you feel like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
What’s the best lesson you've learned in your professional career?
People are everything. Cultivating relationships is not only beneficial in that it can lead to opportunities down the road, but it also makes for a more pleasant work environment - which can make all the difference in the day-to-day. And it’s surprising how small the media world can be, you never know when you’ll run into a former colleague or circle back to the same organization. So make friends, and be kind!
What does PBS offer that other streaming services and TV channels don’t?
I think PBS has a real advantage in that it’s such a known and trusted source of educational and informative content. I think if PBS can meet young media consumers where they are – which is online and on social - there’s an opportunity to be incredibly relevant to a generation of folks who largely associate PBS with the children’s programming they grew up watching. If PBS can speak in a youthful voice, utilize modern fresh perspectives, and employ strategies that may break from tradition but speak to online culture and practices, we can certainly remain relevant and produce content that is informative, impactful, and engaging in an increasingly digital landscape.
What advice would you give someone going into or just starting a job in public media?
I’d say that it’s really wonderful to work for a mission driven organization. In my experience, folks who work in public media prioritize doing good, and so it’s nice finding that common ground with your work colleagues. I’d say that public media can be a good place to get a range of experience if you’re in a situation where teams are a little small or short staffed. I’d also advise to relish the work-life balance. I’ve found that people respect that fact that you can have a life outside of work. People in public media have been interested in and supportive of my side hustle.
Do you leverage any resources to help you with your job (i.e.: certain podcasts, trade magazines or websites, conferences?)
The main thing I do to keep up with YouTube trends and culture is to watch a lot of YouTube. And make a lot of YouTube. And talk to online friends about YouTube. YouTube is pretty much my entire life. It’s embarrassing. More specifically, Phil DeFranco does a good job of summing up big YouTube news when it happens, and Tubefilter also covers big stories. I’m also signed up for newsletters from Patreon, YouTube Creators, and the YouTube Spaces.
Rapid Fire Favorites
- PBS Show - Bill Nye the Science Guy
- Vacation spot - Rome, Italy
- Podcast and/or Book - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Social platform - Twitter
- Drink – Strawberry lemonade, with fresh strawberries
- Food - FoMu Vegan Ice Cream
