Since starting as a writing intern at WGN-TV 25 years ago, Chicago’s very own Tyra Martin has worked tirelessly to bring important stories to the masses. Today, the now eight-time Emmy nominee is the Senior Segment Producer for WGN’s award-winning Morning News.
In addition to her Producer duties on the morning news, she is also the Executive Producer of the station’s long-running, Emmy award-winning community affairs show, People to People. A longstanding member of the Black Perspectives program committee for the Chicago International Film Festival, Tyra is also the writer and producer of several cover stories and primetime specials, including an in-depth look at the city’s handling of the pandemic, the impact of crime across Chicago’s communities, and a celebration and recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
In 2018, Tyra shared her love for film with national audiences as one of the hosts of the Turner Classic Movie Network’s Black Experience on Film series, a powerful partnership with the African American Film Critics Association, of which she is a proud member. Frequently an engaging guest on WVON radio, Martin also receives the Harold Washington Cultural Center’s “Community Impact Award.” and has been honored by Chicago Woman Magazine as one of the city’s “20 Women on Top of Their Game.”
N’DIGO recently caught up with the media maven to discuss her journey, her career at WGN, and her take on new media and the onset of Artificial Intelligence, among other things.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Tyra Martin?
Tyra Martin: Tyra Martin is a Black woman, and within that, she is a daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She’s an insatiable optimist who happens to say no, a lot. She’s a logophile. She’s sweet but sarcastic. She’s a dreamer and a romantic bound by the constraints of a very practical mind. She’s a child of God. She’s a practitioner of gratitude and a follower of Jesus. She’s a student of history and a hopeful visionary. She’s an extroverted introvert. She is yin and yang. A Gemini with a Libra sun and moon, for what it’s worth. She’s also a clutz who loves to dance.
When you were a child, what did you imagine you’d do for a living once you became an adult?
That’s funny because what I imagined I would do was a product of what I’d seen. Our family was in Jack & Jill, so I had the great privilege of growing up with adults who looked like me in a variety of accomplished positions, such as educators and lawyers, business owners, judges, scientists, and more, so I felt like nothing was impossible. Randomly, journalism was the only job I didn’t have a role model for. *laughs* I thought I would be an attorney. I love doing research. I’ve always been good at digesting and disseminating information and ideas. I’m good at making something relatable. All the same, things that would have made me a great lawyer also made me well-suited for journalism. I was a super early reader and understood that words were my superpower. My parents would call me “Word Girl.” There are cassette recordings of me hosting and performing as my own guests on a fake talk show I recorded in the living room at five years old. I think I would have been a successful attorney, but television is a lot more fun.
Do you remember the turning point when you decided to pursue television and media?
After finishing school and returning home (while working at a day spa and waiting for some revelation of what I would become), my parents told me I needed to go back to school or “get a real job.” So I went back to school. I was wasting time and money because I had NO PLAN. I started taking classes at Governors State University. I took a scattering of courses, including one on writing for print. I did really well AND enjoyed it. I took a writing for television class and loved that too. That’s when the advisor, who asked, “What are you doing here”!?!” eventually asked if I had considered mass communication. I hadn’t, but it was the foundation of so much of what I loved – watching and reading the news, and magazines, writing stories for newsletters, and “to the editor.” as well. I started taking television production classes and realized I was good at it.
At the time, I had a cousin working at WGN who told me about their internship program. I took the writing test, got the internship, and they hired me as a news writer six months later. That was 25 years ago. In June, I’ll receive a beautiful watch marking my time at the station. I get paid every two weeks for what I do. Sometimes I get a pat on the back. There are eight Emmy nominations with my name on them. But the most invaluable gifts have been the moments. I’ve met people, heard stories, and visited places I didn’t know existed. I’ve been able to shed light on issues and lift voices that changed how I think about the world, and I know I’ve helped others do the same.
What are some of your day-to-day duties as the Senior Segment Producer for WGN’s Morning News show?
I’m part of a great team that puts on six hours of television every morning from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Every day, I intend to find guests and stories that inform, enlighten, and entertain.
In addition to your work on the morning show, you’re also the Executive Producer of the long-running show People To People. Please tell us about the show.
People to People debuted in 1973. It’s been a constant platform for Black stories, voices, and culture. I joined the show somewhere in the 2000s during the Allison Payne days and under the leadership of Chicago’s incomparable Black media Godmother, Gloria Brown. It’s now hosted by Chicago icon Micah Materre, who read the first script I wrote here at WGN when she was anchoring the morning news many moons ago. The most satisfying part of producing People to People is that it’s the programming that people say they want. Longer stories about what’s going on in the different corners of Chicago’s greater Black community… or should I say communities. It’s an answer to the question, “Why don’t you all show the good things going on in the community?” We do; it’s on early in the morning… but it’s there. And as I imagine it is for my colleagues at other stations working to bring audiences of every ilk those stories, it’s an honor and a responsibility we’re happy to shoulder.
As a long-standing professional in this industry, what are your thoughts on newer platforms and media outlets not adhering to the same standards regarding the foundation of journalism?
People get away with what they can, and a lot of that falls on the consumer. We have to stop repeating things that come from bad sources. Anyone can get on YouTube and say anything. I’ve watched it happen from both sides of this machine as a teller of stories and as the subject of a story. But the consumer chooses to be a willing participant. They have to choose to listen or read or watch. They have to choose to co-sign by sharing the story. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent direct messages to friends, people who are NOT stupid, to say, “Hey, the story you shared isn’t true” or isn’t entirely accurate, and they’ve replied that THEY KNOW but they like the interaction on their page. That’s an actual thing that has happened. Repeatedly. So until accuracy is more desirable than likes and shares, there will be no changes. Ego and attention are powerful adversaries to progress.
Can you share your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how you see it affecting news in the near future?
AI is fascinating and frightening. I probably should be more worried about it than I am. But I know that there are humans who don’t understand the nuance of Chicago’s neighborhoods, politics, and people, so I’m not concerned about it taking MY job. However, while bad actors will always act badly, I’m hoping that users of good intentions will find it an incredible tool for research and access.
Do you have a self-care routine or any rituals that help you to destress?
Walking whenever possible in the rain or with a good breeze or some other dynamic force of nature happening makes me feel peaceful but engaged, small, and powerful at the same time. Walking is a great way to think through something, to pray, or to escape. It gives me a great way to not think about anything but the next physical step you’re going to take. It’s a great reset button for me.
Any personal business mottos or rules you live by?
I try to be as honest as I can in my interactions. If I can’t help someone, I try to find someone who can. I work in a business where people have been told their whole lives not to take no for an answer. But sometimes the answer IS no. No is a real thing, but it’s useful. The truth is not everything is for everyone, and a lot of times, “no” is the reroute to get us to the things that ARE for us in the way that is for us.
Best advice to aspiring media professionals?
Work on your storytelling. If you can tell a good story, you can do anything. I think social media and commentary-based television have rewarded opinion-based content, which has its place, but it often overshadows the core skills. Take advantage of every opportunity. Try new things. Understand you probably won’t be great at EVERYTHING, but you won’t know which lanes are yours unless you try. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be resistant to correction. Also, there are lots of jobs to do. Not all of them are on camera. I’m not saying defer your dream. I’m saying think about what the ultimate goal is. What you want to achieve is sometimes different from what you want to do. Again, people are often told not to take no for an answer, but sometimes the answer is no.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
There are many. But two immediately come to mind: “Try not to be the same stupid twice.” It’s just generally a good rule to live by. And another is the timeless lesson from the musical Annie, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” But as the song says, “You gotta hang on til tomorrow.”
Before the pandemic, I did a lot of traveling with lots of time on airplanes; I noticed that when we were flying through a storm, at some point, the storm was behind us, or under us, or completely over altogether. There IS literally such a thing as “the other side of the”storm,” but you have to go through it. In fact, I started to actually enjoy flying through storms because breaking through to that other side to find that the sun was there the whole time was a cathartic and spiritual experience. It’s a reminder that even though the very real thing you are currently seeing and feeling may be loud and dark and bumpy, the light IS there.
Tell us a fun fact that people would be surprised to know about you.
For a few years, I was a professional samba dancer. Then, after a trip to Brazil, I fell in love with the people and all parts of their culture, language, food, music, and dance. I think part of it was how impressed I was that in each of those elements, their Black community had managed to maintain such a strong connection to their African roots. I was a little jealous, honestly.
When I returned home, I sought out ways to feed my newfound love. I was taking classes at a fitness center with many instructors, and one day, while hanging around, I heard an unmistakable rhythm. It was a cardio samba class. I ended up taking the class. It was led by a wonderful woman named Dill Costa, who I would later learn was an actress, singer, musician, and world-renowned samba dancer. We’re talking top of the float, queen of the carnival renowned here. She invited me to take her class at Old Town School of Music and to join her performance group. I had some of the best moments of my adult life on stages with her and dancers from around the world…places like Brazil, Belize, Columbia, and Panama. It felt good to know I had earned that spot and that all the practice had resulted in this amazing opportunity to make people happy. As invigorating as samba is to perform, it is an absolute joy bringer. I got paid for it but would have done it for free. I now speak enough Portuguese to get by. I make pretty good coxinha (balls made out of chicken) and brigadeiro (balls made out of chocolate). I’ve yet to master pao de queijo (balls made out of cheese), but I’m working on it.
What’s next for Tyra Martin?
Finding new ways to tell stories. I’d love to do more in my own voice and tell more of my own stories. I’d love to take what I’ve learned and share it with other people in the ways of media and separately, medical advocacy. There are better ways to interact with the media to get the outcomes people desire but they don’t know how. And gratefully, I have sisters who are doctors, particularly one here in Chicago, who kept a life changing chapter from being a life ending one by empowering me with information. I want other people to know that when they walk into these spaces, in hospitals, in doctor’s offices they should be heard and respected and that they have a right to ask for the care they need. You don’t know what you don’t know but once you do, you should share it. So that, and a place somewhere it’s warm all the time where I can listen to good music, eat delicious food, hear amazing stories, and spend time with people who add joy to each other.
