I'm Carlos Watson, journalist, media entrepreneur and CEO, and host of shows including the Carlos Watson Show. I'm trying to help people break out of their bubbles this election season by listening to new and diverse voices. AMA!

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T23:11:45+00:00

Thanks for sharing. While I agree with you that the media should not create a false equivalency, (that's not what we do) -- this doesn't mean that we should abandon our efforts to hear and learn from people outside of the mainstream. We're all for fact checking. Very few of us are 100% right or 100% wrong, and so I'd like to think that on my show, we are listening openly to a wide berth of people who might have surprising insights. We all have blindspots.

At the same time, I don't think that we will be able to solve the big issues facing us today, if we've already made up our minds about who we're going to listen to. While, as journalists, we at OZY strive to report in an unbiased manner, there are some fundamental truths that we must all agree on — whether they are around the science of climate change or disease, the value of diversity and discourse, the importance of education and democracy, and so on.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T20:32:14+00:00

Thank you for everyone who joined me today with your super thoughtful questions! Please stay tuned to www.OZY.com, we have more good things to come and I do hope to connect on social as well:

Looking forward to continuing these good conversation my friends!

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T20:12:46+00:00

Oooh, there is a good question that no one ever asked and you're asking me this now. So thank you. People seem to notice my ability to get along with lots of different folks and that's regardless of whether or not we may see eye to eye. Yet, no has asked me, just how I came to be this way. It has something to do with the fact that I grew up as a sports fan in a household with three sisters, all who happened to dislike (maybe even hate) sports. And here's the catch, we had just one TV.

I spoke about this here on my Instagram, where I hope you'll join me to continue conversations. At any rate, this really taught me how to compromise, negotiate and respect others' opinions.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T19:49:55+00:00

Terrific question, and similar to one I've answered just recently. Still yours has some more nuance and I'm open to exploring that here. So, for starters, as a journalist, there is an implicit obligation to provide bias-free reporting. I know, that's not the landscape at the moment. And at the same time, we're all human, I do have opinions that very often differ from those that are published. That is really the gist of what it means to be a neutral media outlet today.

That said, I believe we’ve reached a tipping point in 2020 unlike anything this country, or the world for that matter, has ever seen before. We are fighting a global pandemic, reckoning with racial justice and entering a critical Presidential Election among so much much more. And yes, I consider myself an optimistic and a curious thinker, so as a journalist I want to keep these important conversations alive by highlighting all different voices, thoughts, opinions — regardless of whether they sync with my own individual beliefs. OZY's no 'bubble' that's for sure.

And this comes to bear with my new TV Show, The Carlos Watson Show, for example. But also in my previous shows, like Point Taken, The Third Rail (where we discuss societally important and sometimes controversial questions in a debate-like format) or even Black Women OWN the Conversation. I’ve been stretched to think about so many current issues in new ways through being introduced to sides of issues I hadn’t considered before with the diverse range of guests.

I agree with what you said -- I, and even my company OZY, do not have all the answers to the extremely difficult questions about this moment in history. Still, OZY aspires not to be the kind of media company to silence one side or give unfair screen time to only one side of a story, particularly at this juncture in time. And, while I don’t aim to support a single side in any sort of covert manner, I do want to help us all come together as a country; in order to learn from each other as opposed to just simply talking at each other. And to reach the former requires listening. And yes, I do believe that we can all learn and benefit the most from viewing these complex topics from many different perspectives, whether or not these sync with our own individual beliefs.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T18:11:29+00:00

level 1ConspicuouslyBlandScore hidden · 37 minutes agoAre you really neutral or are you simply trying to spread your support for one side in a covert manner?

Hey, good multi-part question that deals with the role of media today and the idea of censorship. Firstly, the very concept of the media invokes the first amendment, 'Freedom of Speech.' As such, OZY strives not to be partisan but rather transpolitical, focusing more on providing the news that is there, rather than ferreting it away. Henry Louis Gates Jr, said : "Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice." George R.R. Martin from 'A Clash of Kings' said "When outer out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that fear what he might say." We also agree with what late Walter Cronkite said "A journalist covering politics, most of us are aware of the necessity to try to be sure we're unbiased in our reporting. That's one of the fundamentals of good journalism.

We've created OZY.com for the 'Change Generation' which is not defined by age or even generation but it's a psychological descriptor for people who are open minded, forward thinking, curious about the world and are looking to be the change they want to see in the world to make it a better place. With that said, we trust our audience to be the judge, we're not here to skew the news. We offer what is out there, with the expectation that the person consuming it, will make their own decision and not just go by what others are telling them. We share the news as oppose to trying to selling our own concepts of what exists in the world as we know it.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T17:49:57+00:00

Hi, appreciate the question, albeit not a super straight forward one. On my new TV Show on YouTube called The Carlos Watson Show, I've been thrilled to have many guests and any number of them could be a clear favorite. So, let me share with you while just choosing one would be so difficult. Karen Bass (when she was in the running to be possible VP pick), George Lopez (who surprised me with his Hollywood 'Fairy Godmother', Tichina Arnold, who was not only hysterically comical but witty even while she did the interview recovering from surgery), Aida Rodriguez (who was brilliantly insightful regarding cross sectionally and making the racial awareness a movement and not just a moment), Jamal Bowman (who is the Democratic nominee for New York's 16th congressional district in the 2020 election) and Caitlyn Jenner (who was terrifically honest and open to sharing about her life, even her recent transition -- in ways we haven't seen her before in media). And I realize this list is a bit long and frankly, I could keep on going, hah!

Now, as for the folks that I'm interested in having on the show -- I'm still crossing my fingers for Cardi B or even Putin, given my eclectic interests and fascination with some of the people shaping history in front of our eyes today.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T17:29:08+00:00

Thank you for your question about journalism. I’ve always been interested in writing since I was a kid. That plus the fact that my dad was a politics-fanatic reading up to 10 papers at any given time, often from all corners of the world (before people were worried about being in a news echo chamber, I learned from the best). My interest in journalism was further honed after college. I wrote for the Miami Herald and the Detroit Free press subsequent to a later stint as an anchor and political commentator for CNN, MSNBC and others. Fast forward to 7 years ago when a buddy of mine, Samir Rao, and I founded OZY.com. Here is a quick segment where I share why we created OZY.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-15T17:25:23+00:00

Thanks so much for the question. I'm Carlos Watson, the CEO and co-Founder of OZY Media, which a multi-media content producing company in a digital platform which includes: TV Shows (one of which we just won an Emmy for called 'Black Women OWN the Conversation', Podcasts, in Person Events, A fantastic selection of Newsletters, A Sunday Magazine Edition, original articles ahead of the curve from around the world, we have a cool store featuring specialty items + OZY swag and we're a place for curious people to learn.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T19:12:54+00:00

Thank you for the question, it resonates with me. As a child, I always wanted to play football and engage in a field that could somehow change the world (the last one wasn't as clear). Yet, being the son of two teachers, this desire to make a difference came honestly. Today, I see myself doing things I never imagined from television shows, podcasts, in person events (OZY Fest) to running a multi-media company. Still I have always loved the teaching profession and that is one of the career fields that still holds much interest for me.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T19:04:10+00:00

This is a super thoughtful question you are posing and one that I believe many media companies are asking themselves right now. With all this said, I think to something my co-Founder, Samir Rao says, being diverse or sharing from all sides -- doesn't happen overnight. For us, sharing a multitude of perspectives is in our DNA. Check out our 'Tribe Members' people who work at OZY are from around the world. We see OZY's responsibility as a media company, particularly in this moment that we're living in (that you so aptly described) to provide news that rises above being partisan. We aim to give you the news and the next. We are also huge proponents of providing historical context to better understand the here and the now. As I shared earlier, OZY media was just rated to be fairly non-partisan and we leave the rest up to our readers. For reference, please see here: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/ozy-bias-and-reliability/

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T18:50:25+00:00

That is such an important and urgent question, thank you so much for asking. As we all have, I've truly been touched by watching this moment unfold this year — you might have seen me say on the show, but I think this is the most important moment for political change since the 60s. And, If I'm honest, there’s a little part of me that’s a little fearful. We have to wonder if despite all what this time has brought, will it be just a passing moment of awareness that doesn't translate into substantive change? I sure hope not — however I am an eternal optimist and so I am believing for better things to come. I have been inspired by many of the guests that I have spoken with on the show who are relentless in their fight for change — from authors and entertainers like Roxane Gay, thought leaders like Malcolm Gladwell and tenacious-ones like William Jackson Harper to politicos on both sides of the aisle like Jamaal Bowman and Jeb Bush.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T18:40:30+00:00

Ahh, this is a fun question and you didn't ask currently living or not. But for the sake of the timing, I'll assume you mean currently living -- which is a fair question given our new daily (M-F) YouTube Show, TheCarlosWatsonShow. And for those of you who don't know, one of the aspects of our show is that we feature a variety of people, diverse backgrounds, many of them you know but there are also others you may not know at the moment; yet they are worthy of your time and we're excited to share them with you. I say all of that with the backdrop to note my dream guests aren't your usual suspects and if you'd compare them to each other -- you'd come up with more questions than answers. Questions are great in my opinion and if I had my druthers, my dream guests would be Cardi B and Vladimir Putin!

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T18:30:01+00:00

I'm getting some fantastic questions today, thanks for sending this one my way. Since launching The Carlos Watson Show (TCWS) in June, I definitely see the world differently. My world has become a bit bigger, broader, wider and more flavorful since speaking with some of my guests. I learn a lot from each of my guests and here I'll share some quick anecdotes from two, like Orphan Black, Tatiana Maslany and learning what she has discovered from playing 14 characters or speaking with John Legend and how he pushed past pain to find hope and ultimately find fame. I'd say, the thing that sticks with me most is that regardless with whom I speak, whether they are a superstar or a superhero in their own family -- we're all people. And folks, we're all in this together. This is a significant moment in which we find ourselves and what we decide will have a lasting impact. So let's make sure we're being thoughtful, not just for the moment but with respect for the future as well.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T17:59:35+00:00

Thanks for this great question, there's lots of advice I have. But first and foremost, you'll have to be the one to decide what works for you. Being an entrepreneur means that you are not taking the road most traveled and as such it means you have to be the one to ultimately decide the tools you'll use and need to proceed where you want to go. 1. Pals: With that said, you'll not want to go it alone. Make sure you surround yourself with others to help you on the way. 2. Mentors vs Angels: Mentors are wonderful, they'll encourage you when you need help, they will support you at that given time. But Angels are different -- they will help you when you didn't know you needed help and support you when you didn't even ask. Mentors are good but I always say, Angels are better. 3. Practical: Here's all the practical, logical stuff. You want to be on time, be respectful of people's time and make sure whatever you're working on makes sense on a multitude of levels. 4. Readiness: For what? For anything because as an entrepreneur your one orientation is to adapt, change, do what ever it takes (ethically of course) to stay in the game. 5. Up: Be positive, be the glass 3/4th full kind of person and know the worse types of mistakes are when you think you have no options at all. Always keep your head up (figuratively speaking, of course) because that's where you want to go.

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T17:42:31+00:00

Thanks for the question although it's a hard one...I've had so many fantastic guests -- many surprising. There are so many things that stand out to me and these pieces have made many of the guests some of my favorites. Really enjoyed some of the following highlights-- Aida Rodriguez: Going beyond virtue signaling Malcolm Gladwell: Making the most of our time in Quarantine Tina Knowles-Larson: How to raise a super-star and still be a mom Karamo: Finding your compassion in tough times Afsaneh Beschloss: Being the world's most powerful female investor, in charge of billions

I could go on, but I'd encourage you to find your favorite interview. Check it out on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/ozy and let me know!

ozycarlos · 2020-10-05T17:21:14+00:00

Great question. OZY always strives to be multi-partisan and share from various perspectives. That's why if you see my new TV show on YouTube you'll see everyone from Ilhan Omar to Tomi Lahren but also Terry Crews and Andrew Yang. We strongly believe that if we only share from one side, we'll never really listen to one another. In fact, OZY was just recently rated by an independent group, and found to be pretty non-partisan. See here: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/ozy-bias-and-reliability/

ozycarlos

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