What does it take to curate documentaries for a global media company?
Leah chats with Keshia Hannam, Editor in Chief at Eastern Standard Times. Keshia & Leah discuss the roles and responsibilities of an Editor in Chief & what makes for a compelling documentary.
About Keshia:
Growing up mixed race and then living as an immigrant across Hong Kong, India, Australia, the UK, and now the US, Keshia was always drawn to how belonging and assimilation affect identity. Her work as an environmental advocate, building communities across the world with womens’ safety organization Camel Assembly and innovation platform Mettā, story craft on stages like the United Nations with Dear World, plus over a decade in media, has culminated in a passion and skill in ensuring stories are shared in a just and authentic way, predominantly by those who have lived the news. Keshia currently serves as Editor in Chief for Asian media platform Eastern Standard Times.
In this interview you will learn…
Her journey through the media landscape
How she manages a global team
What an Editor-in-Chief does
What makes for a compelling documentary
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
1:17 - Keshia background and identity
4:08 - Working in media & local radio
6:12 - Unconventional path to journalism
8:43 - Working at a magazine
11:11 - International media vs. local media
12:50 - Starting to work with EST
15:17 - Imposter syndrome in a new job
17:21 - What is EST?
18:06 - Editor in Chief Role
19:24 - Asian Filmmakers telling their stories
21:05 - Process for curating stories
23:39 - Platforms for freelance filmmakers
25:28 - Networking for jobs
26: 39 - Challenges with publishing content
28:45 - Allowing subjects to have edits or not
30:47 - What makes a good documentary
34:20 - Big Goals for EST
35:50 - How to Pitch to EST
36:52 - Tools for Doc Filmmakers
38:50 - Tips for Speaking
41:14 - Outro
Episode Resources & Links:
Eastern Standard Times Website -https://www.easternstandardtimes.com/
Eastern Standard Times Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/estmedia/
Keshia Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/keshiahannam/
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Sundoc Studios
Learn more about Documentary Producing