Today, we’d like to introduce you to Franchette O’Neal.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always had a passion for the journalism, film, and TV industries, which heightened after competing in high school when I lived in Korea. Traveling a lot because of my family’s military background also influenced my drive to tell stories through a visual medium.
While pursuing my degree in film and TV and a minor in journalism at Georgia Southern University, I worked for their in-house sports broadcast department, where I had the opportunity to work with/for ESPN and receive an Emmy nomination for my camera work. After my undergraduate degree, I decided to pursue my Masters in communication, which helped me develop leadership skills and be more confident in what I can do.
Many doors have opened since then, like getting to work for the Savannah Bananas, the Ghost Pirates, and even my current job as a news producer with WSAV. I even taught studio production for two semesters at Georgia Southern right after my master’s, so it has been a rewarding journey so far!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. The pandemic hit the spring, and I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. I prepared myself to join the workforce as soon as I graduated, but COVID shut everything down, and no one was hiring. It was a very uncertain time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a news producer; I produce our prime time 6 pm show and our evening 10/11 pm show. I’m most proud of being able to air clean shows and shed light on issues in our community through the news.
I’m very motivated and driven, and I think that’s what sets me apart from others.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I’m not a huge risk-taker. I think I try to plan and weigh things out before making a decision.
Contact Info:
- Website: franchetteo.wixsite.com/media
- Instagram: @fransheymayumi
