Conversing with Producer and Talk Show Host, Donna Jones

Q: Who is Donna Jones?

A: It is the side of me that I think I have become over the years. Someone that is out-of-the-box thinking. Someone that goes after her goals and dreams. Someone that has been through a lot and has been able to take all the hardships and make it into something. To make it a life that is what she wants it to be. A better life.

Q: How did you get your start in the industry?

A: I started in public access. Entertainment didn’t pick me, I picked entertainment. That’s how I like to think of it. It was never something I felt like I wanted to do. I went to a taping of a local radio show called Get the Hookup, and I remember seeing this girl there that I think was a producer. She had the headphones, and she was running the show. I remember thinking, “she is such a boss!” I ended up having a conversation with her, and she told me what she did, and it sounded really interesting to me. She invited me to sit on the ground floor of the set, and after they taped the show, that was when I had my “Aha moment.” I started producing at that same local cable station, CTV. In that first year, I created my first show; I was producing, editing, and directing. I won an award within the first two years and just won another award this year. It’s been off and running ever since.

Q: Tell me about Donna Jones Live and how it came to be.

A: At first, it was called Up and Coming, then it was Spotlight TV, and then it was Donna Jones Live. I initially created that platform for local up-and-coming artists and then started getting bigger interviews and more celebrity interviews. Being able to have true and honest conversations that inspire others is my focus for Donna Jones Live.

Q: How can we tune in?

A: All of my previous interviews are on the Donna Jones Live YouTube channel. I’m in the process of creating a new platform called Drop Network, a streaming platform where you can watch it.

Q: What would you say has been a highlight of your career so far?

A: It would definitely be my interview with Chaka Khan. I love me some Chaka Khan. It was a really great experience, and she’s so inspirational to me. Meeting her and being able to talk to her was awesome.

Q: What do you think is the importance of Black media producers when it comes to showing positive representations of Black people in the media?

A: I think that is really important. That is the focus of the platform and the streaming service I’m creating. I want to change that narrative on how we’re viewed. I created a show we’re pitching right now that shows the daily grind of entrepreneurship. I think it’s able to show us in a different light that’s not fighting and pulling hair. I’m working on changing our narrative by creating content that captures us in a better light.

Q: Any advice for aspiring producers about how to break into the industry?

A: We want people to see and recognize us and wait for that “big break.” The break will come to you. Don’t wait. Don’t wait for anyone to give you permission on what to do or not to do. Just do it.

Q: Can you tell us about any upcoming projects we should look out for?

A: I am working on The Drop Network, a streaming platform. I partnered up with another director and producer, and we’re working on a mock. I am also working on another project called Rooftop Jones. That should be out within the next month.