The news sector has not been a welcoming space for Black women. And yet, veteran journalist Shaun Robinson has been a staple on our television screens for over two decades. The Spelman alum began her career at Detroit's WGPR-TV (now WWJ-TV) --the first Black-owned television station in the United States and quickly became one of the nation’s top journalist. Robinson covered Bill Clinton’s Impeachment proceedings in the ‘90s and the Oklahoma City bombing before becoming a host of the acclaimed NBC show, Access Hollywood — a role she held for 16 seasons before moving on in 2015. Never one to be confined to a certain role or a certain type of news coverage, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and avid philanthropist is ready to add a new title to her lengthy resume -- executive producer.
Recently, Shadow and Act caught up with the Detroit native to talk about how the news landscape has shifted and evolved during this current political administration, and her forthcoming mega-project with Lifetime.
"When I was growing up in the business, the number one lesson you learn was to get the facts before you report them," Robinson reflected on the way journalism has shifted since she first began her career. "There were checks and balances back then. Sure, everyone wanted to be first, but you made sure to check all of your sources, and get the information from both sides of the story before you went on the air and reported anything."
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