*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).
Lonely Planet is looking to provide tech-savvy travelers with the building blocks to plan their own trips in a new travel experience series. Sebastian Modak, editor-at-large for Lonely Planet, joined Cheddar News to discuss its travel planning innovation. "We’re really offering new perspectives on these places and new approaches to experiencing them," Modak said.
Dubbed the "Ethereum Killer," Solana is known for its super-fast, low-cost transactions, which has proven attractive to defi companies looking to scale up quickly.
Chanda Smith Baker, Chief Impact Officer & SVP at The Minneapolis Foundation, joins ChedHER to discuss how the foundation is driving action for the greatest civic, social, and economic needs and gives advice for others seeking a career in the nonprofit industry.
Stax Payments recently announced a $245 million funding round. Suneera Madhani, CEO and Founder of Stax Payments and Host and Producer of 'CEO School' the podcast, joins ChedHER to discuss how to get more female founders to break $1 million in revenue.
Dr. Kat Cohen, Founder and CEO of IvyWise, talks about how the higher education industry has evolved over the past 20 years, and what to consider as the college decision deadline approaches.
An estimated five billion people lack access to affordable and safe surgical care around the world. For World Health Day, Cheddar News spoke with Kristie Magee Porcaro of Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization assisting with cleft lip and palate surgeries, about how they work to better it around the globe.
Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has COVID< and Miami has outdone itself with a shiny crypto bull. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday, April 8, 2022.
There has been notable disagreement in the medical community about a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose. The FDA last week authorized a second booster dose for older and immunocompromised individuals, as some agency officials did not support the idea. The FDA made the decision without meeting with its advisory committee, as it had ahead of its recommendations on the previous COVID-19 vaccine doses.
The CDC followed in the footsteps of the FDA and authorized a fourth dose as well. Reports say the agency also did not discuss the move with its own advisory team of vaccine experts. Now, a growing number of doctors are speaking out against the decisions - leaving people confused about whether they should get another vaccine dose. Dr. Julie Morita, a member of the CDC's advisory committee to the director, and the executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
