Breaking News: Soledad O’Brien on Rewriting Who Gets to Tell the Story

How do you change the narrative when the system was never designed to include you?In this episode of Breaking Precedent, Soledad O'Brien joins the show to discuss her illustrious career in journalism, covering critical events from wars to hurricanes, and sharing the humorous contrast between her on-screen cooking segments and her real-life kitchen skills. O'Brien delves into her upbringing as the daughter of an interracial couple in a time when such marriages were illegal, shaping her perspective on education and resilience. Her journey from a production assistant to starting the Starfish Media Group highlights her commitment to centering authentic stories and challenging traditional narratives in media. The conversation covers the impact of storytelling in crises like Hurricane Katrina, the shifts needed in journalistic practices, and the importance of representation in media.Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning journalist, producer, and media entrepreneur known for centering truth, context, and underreported voices in American storytelling. A former CNN anchor and correspondent, she led groundbreaking documentary series including Black in America, Latino in America, and In America, reshaping how media covers race, policy, and power.Listeners can learn more about Soledad O’Brien at SoledadProductions and on Instagram @soledadobrien and LinkedIn @SoledadproductionResources:Matter of Fact with Soledad O’BrienShow Notes: 00:00 Welcome to Breaking Precedent + Introducing Soledad O’Brien01:38 Icebreaker: Myth and Mom Life03:17 Growing Up in the 60s06:17 Early Storytelling Instincts07:36 Dual Identity as a Reporting Superpower11:10 Outworking Everyone: First Jobs, Low Pay, and Learning Fast14:37 2005 (Katrina) and Re-Centering Crisis Coverage18:09 Why People Don’t Trust the News Anymore (Opinion, Clicks, AI)21:31 CNN ‘Black in America’ Clash24:43 How to Push Back on Leadership Without Losing the War25:58 Finding Your Voice: Standing Firm as You Rise27:07 Handling Disrespect on Assignment: ‘Get Out There and Kill It’30:10 Starting Starfish Media: Breaking the Gatekeeping of Stories33:21 Reinvention, Motherhood, and Building a Life You Want36:02 Work, Guilt, and Raising Awesome Teens (and Twentysomethings)39:38 Owning Your Schedule: From CNN Chaos to Horseback Riding & Ballroom41:31 Why Conflict-Driven News Wins: Cheap Panels, No Context44:13 A Better Future for News: Streamers, Deep Dives, and Expertise Over Opinion46:58 Docs as Policy Storytelling: Stand Your Ground, Roe, and Creative Structure48:59 Representation Matters: The Legacy She Hopes to Leave + Final Wrapd---Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.Connect with Leah:Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @leah_solivanX: @labunleashed