*By Max Godnick*
TV writers are used to responding to notes from network executives. Now, they're catering to fans on Twitter, too.
Karin Gist, showrunner of Fox's "Star", and Kriss Turner Towner, executive producer of the OWN Network's "Greenleaf", are responsible for steering the creative direction of their respective shows. They said that viewers' reactions on social media helps determine some of the choices they make in their writers' rooms.
"Black Twitter has a lot of power in Hollywood," said Gist in an interview with Cheddar's Brad Smith at the American Black Film Festival in Miami.
The term "Black Twitter" is frequently used to refer to the network of users who collectively weigh in on matters of cultural, political, and societal importance. The notion has already helped bring memes, hashtags, and movements like Black Lives Matter to prominence. Gist and Turner Towner said they make content decisions with the abstract group in mind.
"We care about our audience and what does Black Twitter say, so we have a responsibility to our viewers," said Turner Towner, adding, "Because of social media, we take that into account more."
Gist and Turner Towner are two of just a few African-American women at the helm of major television shows. While their two current projects center on stories about underrepresented communities, they said they don't feel as though they're being limited in the types of stories they tell on screen.
"I no longer think of it as a box, I think of it as an opportunity and a privilege," said Gist.
Both women encouraged writers of colors to tell stories that are true to themselves, emphasizing their potential as a mechanism for progress in Hollywood's road to better diversity and inclusion.
"I think it's really important to kind of tell your story, be honest about it, and be unapologetic about it," said Gist.
"The box is freakin' fantastic," she said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/running-the-show-in-a-tv-writers-room).
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
BTS’ hit single “Butter” tops the zeitgeist again, bumping back up to number one on Billboard’s Hot Trending Chart. The chart tracks what songs people are talking about rather than what they're listening to.
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
On this episode of ChedHER: Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE breaks down how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses; AYO Foods Co-Founder discusses how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of; Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Chase Auto talks her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry, and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Renée Horne, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Chase Auto, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder of AYO Foods, joins ChedHER to discuss how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of.
Crystal Etienne, Founder and CEO of period apparel company Ruby Love and Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience bootstrapping her company to $10 million, and how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses.
