"One of my rules is not to say I want to be but to say I'm going to be, so from now on say that."
Such self-confidence has guided Billie Jean Shaw to a successful television news career since graduating from Winthrop University in 2013 with a mass communications degree.
The self-proclaimed "country girl from Manning" treated our communications majors to an inspiring presentation on Feb. 20 as part of our Media Professionals Speaker Series.
A main anchor at Columbia's WIS-TV, Shaw told us she knew early in life that she wanted to work in TV news, telling the Manning newspaper in 2014 that as a youngster, she preferred watching WIS-TV news instead of cartoons.
"They had a segment, 'Live with Lucas,' she said back then, "where he would go to places all over the Midlands and interview all types of people. I would look at that and think, 'Hey, I want to be on TV. I want to talk to people like that and tell their stories.'"
College helped equip Shaw with the knowledge, skills and tools to make her dream a reality. She showed us her first "MMJ" report as a Winthrop student. MMJ stands for multimedia journalist, meaning she shot, wrote and edited the package (a reporter story with voice-over tracks, soundbites from people interviewed, and her on-camera standup part).
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After graduation, Shaw landed a job at Fox 46 in Charlotte. She credits attending a National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference in the Queen City with helping her find that position. At Fox 46, she was an assignment editor, a position in which she helped reporters find stories and tracked reporters and videographers as they covered stories.
She aspired to be in front of the camera, so on her own time, Shaw grabbed a camera and shot and produced stories around Charlotte.
She was determined to prove wrong "old school professors (at Winthrop) who said I shouldn't be on camera because of my enunciation, my Southern accent or because I use my hands a lot."
In Charlotte, Shaw put together a reporter audition reel that led to her getting an on-air job at WIS-TV in Columbia.
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I met Shaw back in 2016 at the McDonald's near SC State's campus. I was there for lunch; she was there working on a story. I introduced myself, and we chatted. She allowed me to take these photographs. This image really captures the MMJ one man (or woman) band. She is working on a script on one laptop, and editing video on the other one. She was staying in town for a 6 o'clock live shot.
When I asked her when her live truck was arriving, she said there wasn't one, that she had the gear to do the live shot herself. Now that's an MMJ!
At the end of Shaw's talk, I surprised her by showing her these photos from years ago. You can see her surprised look. She said they reminded her of how far she has come in the tough, competitive TV news business.
Indeed, she should be proud! I later emailed her the photos. Just give me photo credit in your memoirs one day, Billie Jean!
Shaw returned to Charlotte in 2017 to report for WCNC-TV, the NBC affiliate. There, she created a segment called "For the Culture."
"It's important to report stories about the Black community, positive stories," she said. This impact was important to her in that her father back in Manning was president of the Clarendon County NAACP. She grew up in a family with both her parents being educators.
Shaw says she "learned how to talk to people through my jobs at Walmart, JC Penney," and other places. Plus, she was "raised in the church."
She was lured back to WIS-TV in Columbia in 2021 with expanded anchor duties.
Andrea Milford-Williams, the communications program's coordinator for special events and professional relations, told Shaw after her talk that she "had been on our list for quite a while" as a desired speaker.
It was worth the wait! Thank you Billie Jean Shaw for your visit!
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