Aubrey On Air: Finding Purpose in Chaos
Purpose, peace, positivity. It’s been hard finding that within the last few months, especially within the daily news. COVID-19, the resurgence of BLM activism and the overall questioning of where we are as a society can get pretty overwhelming- even for multimedia journalists working now. Aubrey Jackson, an evening social media anchor for WTSP, knows all too well the heaviness of the ongoing situation. But, even then, she shares that there is a bigger picture to the work journalists take on during these moments of crisis. Even more so, how her identity as a Black woman adds on to the roles she plays as a storyteller, both in the news and as an influencer- and what it has done to shape her purpose in life.
Source: Instagram
Why journalism? What was it that made you realize, this is it for me?
I’ve always been exposed to different viewpoints and different cultures. I’ve always been intrigued about realities and experiences different from mine. And sometimes it happens in good situations, sometimes it happens in bad situations with people, but you get the realities of others and hearing them share their stories. Being able to do that on a local level in journalism has been really rewarding, and being able to do it in my hometown, that’s a blessing, being able to be like a hometown hero.
You have a pretty big following on Instagram, with a blog and even a Southern lifestyle magazine. What was that transition like from being on TV to also having an influencer space on social media?
That was a natural progression, coming from a local lifestyle show. Anytime I would have certain guests on the show, working on a story or wearing a certain outfit in the studio, I enjoyed sharing those details of my day. It wasn’t like working on a blog where it was like, this is behind the scenes. It was a lot to put all this information on different platforms. I didn’t have anyone helping me so I had to put it all in one space, so at that time I created a Facebook page and put a lot of the info on what I was working on there. Then, I moved onto blogging, which was a really great expressive and creative tool for me because I could talk about my love of travel, style and things I probably couldn’t talk about on any other platform.
Taking up both those spaces, it can be a lot sometimes just because you’re never off in the journalism space. You’ve made the commitment to serve your community and be part of something bigger than yourself. It can be where you might think you can work on something creative or for your influencing hustle, but if duty calls, duty calls. At the end of the day, it’s all about time management; we only have 24 hours and I’m not Beyoncé, so I try to balance it all out. That’s why I’m so big on personal development and self care, self checks. No matter what’s going on- pandemic, civil unrest, you still gotta check in with yourself and make sure you’re good.
We’re seeing a lot now about our industries not necessarily being a safe space for Black women. What has your experience been like, being both a woman and a Black woman in the news?
Knowing that I’m a black woman and working in media, I know that everything I do and say is indicative of the next person and their opportunity. Knowing that, I always carry myself in a way that is stellar and darn near perfect because I know it is not an easy industry for anyone, but especially for a person of color. There’s so many different dynamics at play and for me as a Black woman, I’m going to go through it with my head high and do the absolute best I can and know that anything that might end up being hurtful, harmful or disappointing is going to be short-lived because there will always be a sister or brother coming in after me that makes anything I go through, worth it. That’s what it’s all about, making sure that next person comes through the door.
So, if you could tell younger Aubrey one thing for navigating the news industry, what would that be?
As a younger journalist, a lot of times you’re told opportunities are scarce- and they can be- and that when you’re starting out, you need to take the first thing you can. That’s the mentality I went in with, that I had to go with whatever I could to get started.
But the trajectory has changed so much now. Students and even high school kids, they’re in this beautiful time right now where you can be the microphone for yourself, you can have your own platform and resources. There’s an endless amount of opportunity compared to even five, six years ago. Now, you can share your viewpoints and speak on your own truth and it can reach the masses and touch a lot of lives and at the end of the day, that is storytelling at its core- sharing the reality and truth of someone else, giving them that spotlight and passing on the microphone. Letting a story take its place. If I could go back and tell myself anything, it would be to stay true to my voice and myself; not allow any advice or any day-to-day efforts make me lose myself in the effort of staying in the industry.
I actually saw you at a local protest, interviewing someone. You shared about that experience on your social media- what was that like?
That was a very humanizing experience. I was there simply as a civilian because I wanted to see the essence of people from all backgrounds coming together for one common goal. Like everyone else, I saw what was posted online and what was trending on social media, but this was in our backyard. I got the clearance from work to go and film some of it, and it was very eye-opening. I was speaking to folks that had seen this play out multiple times, and it was like chilling a bit, to see someone say, ‘yeah we’ve been here before and it’s good to see the younger kids keeping up the work’.
And that broke my heart, because we’re fighting for something that has been continuously an issue. I mean, yes, there’s a younger generation behind it fighting for it, but for those older people to say they love that there is this feeling of reigniting the fight for equal rights, the same fight they’ve fought all their lives…it’s tiring. Great but so tiring. But, when I spoke to a younger person— he was like 22— there was just passion in that man’s voice. He had his own microphone and was ready to go, he could not sit back and be ok with what is happening, knowing there’s a problem there. That was so reassuring.
The protest did end up turning violent at the end. What’s it like to walk and be present in peaceful protesting and then having to speak on or see so much news about violence?
Because I think there are so many emotions attached to what’s going on, everyone has to consider the stakes of people coming together. Yes, people are coming together peacefully and being compliant, but everyone deep down are facing their own trials and tribulations, and then on top of that a lot of hurt is there. Anytime you mix that with a situation like this, you never know what you’re going to get.
It can’t be easy being a journalist right now, with the news being so heavy and people spreading misinformation like crazy with just the click of a button. How do you feel, as a journalist, about so much he-said-she-said about everything going on?
There’s so many different ways to get information these days that you really have to sit down and do the work to differentiate the facts from the fiction and the news from the noise. You should always ask yourself, is this source legitimate? You need to be open to digging a little deeper and doing your own research, and not just reading headlines and taking that as the full news. Do your own due diligence.
Have you ever been attacked for sharing that you are a journalist?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Some people have strong opinions about journalists, and some people are super kind. The reality is, no one but me fully knows about the experiences I’ve had, and I know this is a hot time for people in my industry. We need to have some thick skin and not take it personally. There is no course in college or book to teach you the reality of what it is working in media right now. But I think in general, it is always wise to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and be considerate before talking down someone because of their beliefs or because of their profession. Just have compassion, especially for right now.
Always a good life lesson!
Exactly. Like, seriously, it’s hard enough as it is. We’re all going through the same hurt and confusion right now.
So, what would you say you’re working towards then for your career? What’s the ultimate goal?
Although this pandemic has been rough for everyone and for our country for the most part, it has made me focus not on my career goals, but the lasting impact that I have as a living, human being on this planet. I’ve always been super strong in my faith, and I’ve taken everything that has defined me and just put it away and asked myself, ok, who am I? And I think that in itself has been very therapeutic.
Now, I just really want to focus on what God has decided to bring me on this Earth to do. I don’t have my own needs, wants and goals- I want to be of servitude to him. So as much as part of me would like to say, oh this is what I want to do in 5 years, I would much rather do what I’m called to do and silence my ego so I can hear and feel my purpose. It would be a disservice to say what I want to do when now I’m being deliberate on what I’m supposed to do. No point in having my own plan…That’s selfish. Everything going on right now, has made me think about what is important.
I get that. There’s only so much you can do with your 9-5. This is more so about your legacy.
Yes! I’m thinking bigger picture here.
Source: Instagram
You can catch Aubrey on Instagram @AubreyonAir and her Southern lifestyle blog, So Southern Belle.