Meet Mikaela Thomas | Digital Content Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikaela Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikaela, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?

Years ago one of my linesisters mentioned to me the saying, “You don’t PLAN to FAIL, you FAIL to PLAN”. This statement has stuck with me as I maneuver through my career and profession.

The saying is true! No one makes a plan to fail, often improper and poor plans yield poor results causing you to fail at whatever it is you’re trying to achieve.

I feel like a lot of people in my generation get stuck in the “I’m just winging it” phase, but to be real and to be honest, this is a horrible phase to be in. We should always have a plan, a blueprint, or a foundation that we will use to achieve and get to where we desire to be!

I apply this quote to my life and remind myself daily that some of the most successful people in the world had a PLAN, and although the PLAN maybe was been altered, changed, and caused them to PIVOT – there always was a PLAN. Success is not anything you just stumble on, or into!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I am a digital content producer at WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Prior to landing at WSB-TV, I was a digital assignment editor at WCNC in Charlotte, North Carolina until June 2022. I joined Charlotte after spending time as a multimedia producer at WFXG – TV Augusta, Georgia.

I am a beloved Thomson, Georgia native who developed an interest in media, news, and journalism at an early age. To make my dreams a reality, I made a commitment to furthering my education at Clayton State University (Morrow, Georgia) by obtaining my Bachelor’s in Communications and Media Studies. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). I also executive produced the Forty for 40: FullCourt Press; a docuseries on the Thomson Basketball Program and the forty-year legacy of my father, Coach Michael Thomas Sr.

As a digital content producer, my day-to-day consists of a lot of different tasks, but in short, I am the gatekeeper of the newsroom. It is the responsibility of my colleagues and me to act as a filter to the countless viewer concerns, news tips, story pitches, and press releases that we receive on any given day. From monitoring scanners to staying up to date on law enforcement reports and social media, it is important that we manage these collective narratives to ensure that whatever lands on air and web is informative to our audience. In November 2022, just months after joining WSB-TV I was selected as Employee of the Month.

“Mikaela has been with WSB-TV for only five months, and has already had a tremendous impact. As a Digital Content Producer, she is in the news mix every day and has quickly gained the trust of her co-workers,” the nomination read.

When I ponder on my talents, I often rest on my ability to write and create digital content that is digestible to the average person. As a digital content producer, I’m always thinking about what newsworthy content is, and what it is not. My goal is always to provide stories that benefit our large and diverse audience. In doing this, what becomes most important is removing biases while also remaining culturally conscious. Even in dealing with tips that may not be news content, I still prioritize redirecting viewers, businesses, and others to the correct avenues that may better address their issues.

Throughout my entire life, I feel that my superpower has always been creating and maintaining relationships. People often wonder how the news learns about things happening throughout their viewing area; oftentimes it is because of the relationships my colleagues and I have with people in the community who TRUST us to dig and find the answers on topics, events, and incidents.

Today, I am most proud of being authentically myself. This alone sets me apart from other people in both my personal and work life. I feel that my colleagues know that I pride myself on being a realist. Meaning, I find ways to creatively use my experiences as a single, Black 32-year-old woman to connect to content, stories, and issues that occur in the Atlanta news line.

Black women like myself are a vital part of the newsroom because they are the heart, ears, and soul of many of the ‘unheard’. My own experiences in and outside of my profession have allowed me to speak up and challenge the way in which the news is delivered to viewers. I have found successful ways to cultivate an audience whether it’s on-air or web. I have mastered the art of effective networking and I realize connections outside my profession are essentially the most important because it allows me to be a vessel to tell these stories on a local news platform. As I continue to climb the leadership ladder, I will continue to remain a “person you need to know” in the world of broadcast media.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Friday night dinner – Blu Seafood House, located at 935 Marietta St. NW. This restaurant has great food, a fantastic atmosphere, and delicious daiquiris!

Saturday brunch – Bar 44, located at 2755 Canton Rd, Marietta, – owned by a group of black men, this is the SPOT for the Cobb County area, service is amazing, music gives you all the 90s feels, and brunch menu SMACKS!

Saturday midday activity – one thing we know about Atlanta is that it influences everything so it’s almost essential to visit the Trap Musesum just so visitors can learn and understand – we invented trap music.

Ponce City Market – let’s go shopping, grab dinner at Bar Vegan, and etc.

Saturday Dinner – Modish, now I LOVE Modish, they are usually open late, great food, great drinks, and the aesthetics give every. single. time!

Sunday brunch – The HIVE Buckhead, let’s go into Midtown and get some brunch

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I want to dedicate my story to women of color who work in broadcast media.

I want you all to know, even when it does not feel like it – we are seen, we are heard, and we are important.

Working in broadcast media is amazing and I am happy to work for a diverse company and news station. At the same time, I am aware that the diversity throughout my own newsroom is not what is seen throughout others.

You all deserve all the credit for my success, I work hard for us! By striving to excel professionally, I am helping to continue efforts to get more women of color into leadership roles so we can make a difference in storytelling. By telling the stories of the unheard and unseen. Women of color in broadcast media will continue to push the efforts of making sure our newsrooms, studios, movie sets, and etc show more representative and inclusion.

Website: www.mikaelathomastv.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikaelathomas.tv

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaela-thomas-2904876b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikaelaThomasTV

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikaelaThomasWCNC