Sheena Jones has continued to conquer the world of television, one step at a time. She majored in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University and kept a steady eye on the horizon that was the world of media in all forms. Sheena has shown an innate skill set and talent for being adaptable to all roles, whether she was working at Radio One, CBS Radio, WBFF 45 Fox Morning News, CNN, or her newest role as the Assignment Desk Lead at Cheddar. When she's not on television, she's conquering the world of writing through her self-published and interactive journal called the "LovMoreJournal," which focuses on vulnerability and mental health. Sheena is a champion for the Black community in every way and continues to inspire those around her through her work, passion, and tenacity for learning. We were very excited to chat with her and discuss her career, lessons learned along the way, and what she's looking forward to with Cheddar.
Tell us about yourself and what you are passionate about?
My name is Sheena Jones, and I'm 36, almost 37. I'm extremely passionate about life and waking up every day with something to enjoy. I say "life" because it's whatever life brings, whether it's good or bad experiences. I think we grow and stretch through the bad stuff. If everything is always good, you're not making progress or growing, and I believe you have to experience disappointment to get to that next level of yourself. I have a really vibrant passion for life and having adventures. I currently reside in New York City, and it has been challenging during Covid to find a way to entertain yourself, so I love trying anything new (safely).
Who inspired you personally and professionally when you were growing up?
I really admire female bosses because I was lucky to grow up around strong women. Even in the early stages of my career before television, I fostered and received mentorship from women who commanded the room. I would sit in awe, visiting them in their office. I've been fortunate that in every leg of my career, I have seen women in leadership and been able to be motivated by their journey. You see them juggling a career, motherhood, family, kids, and everything in between. It's glorious. I also have many strong women in my family from my mom, sister, aunts; it's a collective unity that has really impacted who I am as a woman.
What were your career aspirations?
I have always wanted to work on television, although I didn't have an exact profession in mind. I had paid and unpaid positions on the radio, where I learned how to do promotions or creating a reporter reel at a local TV station. I thought I would be a reporter for a while, but I quickly realized that wasn't going to be my career. I fell in love with being behind-the-scenes because all the magic you see on TV comes from the unsung heroes behind the camera. I didn't know what journalists were growing up; I thought it was just reporters. When you take a career out of passion, there is some level of sacrifice that comes with that, and for me was getting paid pennies, living with my parents into my thirties, eating ramen...paying your dues.
In your early career, you worked with Radio One as a Radio Personality and CBS Radio in Promotions; what was the transition from being at the mic to behind the scenes?
When I was behind the mic, I was not getting paid. In Baltimore, you can buy radio time, and you were broadcast next to the big radio personalities in a different booth. I would rent out an hour's worth of radio time every week and get support from my family, friends, and barter with business owners in exchange for promoting them, whether I gave away free oil changes or raffle prizes that were donated. I had the creative freedom to create my own format with a mix of news, music, and guests. It was awesome. I was the boss and radio host. Behind the scenes, when I worked in promotions, I got to see how radio mingled with their listeners. It was great to see how they could build and nurture their fanbase in a completely different way. It was two different worlds, and I got to see the totality of radio from that experience.
How would you describe your journey as a woman of color working in media?
As a woman of color, there are plenty of times where there are people who don't look like me. I am who I am when I show up. I speak the way I speak. I laugh the way I laugh. It may not always be the traditionally correct way to do something, but I do it. For some people, that can make you feel small if you hear questions like, "Why do you talk like that?" "What did you say?" but you go through that, and if you are unsure of yourself, it can be hurtful, or if you are confident, it can be uplifting. For me, I feel empowered as a woman of color and a duty to do some justice.
What was the experience like going from morning news at Fox 45 to an assignment editor at CNN?
They are two totally different worlds, but both equally busy. At FOX, I was writing out interview segments, contest promotions, booking guests, writing questions, scanning social media accounts, just completely involved to the point I was working 12-14 hour days. At CNN, I get an 8 hour day and tape feed (which is brought in from CNN journalists worldwide) and give it to the network. The way I got my "big break" at CNN was the Freddy Gray story. I'm watching these people who are being shown on camera and recognizing my friends. There was one scene with a woman hitting her son for throwing rocks at the police and chastizing him to come home. I had posted a clip of it on my Facebook asking if anyone had recognized her, and I had a friend who connected me with her, and I insisted that CNN wanted to interview her (I'd like to add at the time I wasn't in a position to get on TV). I went to the people I knew were assignment editors and pitched the story...ultimately, Anderson Cooper interviewed her. The story grew in popularity, and it's a decision I still stand by today because I could use my voice with the position I had. Two weeks later, I was offered a role on the assignment desk, and that ended up being my career at CNN.
We've covered a variety of positions you've had during your time in television and media. Did you have an ultimate goal or career pinnacle you wanted to reach?
I never had a top goal or a mountain that I was climbing. I was there to learn and take advantage of every opportunity I was given. I would take time out of my day to sit with producers in the back and learn their role or spending time on the International desk and learning how to hire a translator. I have always been open to the world of TV and never wanted to do one thing. I was fascinated by how it all worked and how we worked together.
Since you had the opportunity to work in different positions within your field...was there a role you decided wasn't for you?
I enjoyed everything, but I definitely say that editing is a special skill and job that isn't in my wheelhouse. It takes a particular time to get a clip down to the exact second to tell a good story. You have to watch a clip repeatedly to get it down straight to the point, and I concluded this just wasn't for me. I also think digital writing was another role that I admire, but just knew wasn't for me.
In your time at CNN, what have been a few of your favorite stories that you've gotten to cover?
I have several favorite stories; here are a few I can recall:
When Beyonce was pregnant with her twins, I contacted Matthew Knowles (he didn't answer) but still a fun story.
Recently I got to call Vogue (they didn't answer) regarding the cover story featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and how she was portrayed.
Though it is heartbreaking, one of my favorites was the Kamiyah Mobley abduction and how she discovered at 18 that she had been listed as a missing child when she was applying for jobs. I spoke with Kamiyah briefly, and it forever touched me because I truly empathized with her loving the woman who had raised her and trying to forge a relationship with her biological mother. My heart hurt for her, and seeing her world turned upside just really stuck with me.
Tell us about your new position at Cheddar.
I'll be in the Assignment Desk Lead role where I'll be leading the team in the newsroom. I'll also have the opportunity to work on packages, managing the reporter teams, assisting in story selections, and leading the editorial desk. Cheddar has been around five years, and I'll be the first Black person in leadership; it is fantastic. It's a tremendous opportunity to use all my network experience in one place.
How vital is mentorship in a competitive space like television, and have you had any mentors in your career?
"You can't do life without mentors. You have to define what the word mentor means to you. It should be someone with whom you have built a relationship who knows a bit about you personally and professionally. Mentors are the non-objective space that can encourage you to do better and hold you accountable to your goals. It doesn't have to be a person walking you into a position, but it should also be a person who can help you grow personally and professionally."