Female Disruptors: Monique Chenault of REVOLT Media & TV On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
“Think ahead, but take it one day at a time.” Building a Black news operation and content studio is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry,I had the pleasure of interviewing Monique Chenault.
Monique Chenault is a four-time Emmy nominated executive producer, writer and content creator with over 20 years of development and production experience in network, cable and nationally syndicated television. A graduate of UCLA and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, her credits include but are not limited to CBS News, NBC News, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, The Insider and Central Ave. Monique is now the president of REVOLT Black News, at REVOLT Media & TV, the cable network owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs which specializes in creating content for Black audiences.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
The deep desire to inform and enlighten the public citizenry about the issues that impact us most — this is what led me to pursue a career in journalism. But, I consider it more of a calling than a career.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Our work is inherently disruptive because it is unapologetically Black. Because true Black perspectives are rarely heard or acknowledged in the mainstream press, executing our mission to voice Black people’s concerns in a very polylithic way disrupts the status quo.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As a first time talk show associate producer, I mistimed a segment causing the host to wing it for 3 minutes on live television. That’s a lot of time!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
One my first bosses trusted me to run a late, late night conversation series when I was only 26 years old. The show aired at 1:30am, but it taught me how to lead a team and manage a staff for the first time. This opportunity allowed me to develop and hone the skills that are vital to becoming an effective showrunner and executive producer, and later a network executive.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disruptive is always good when it leads to a better understanding or real change, but sometimes these changes are not immediately seen. It’s often a gradual progression. There aren’t many time-worn American systems or structures that elevate Black people, so we’re always hoping to ignite positive change. There’s a lot to unpack here, but I’d say systematic changes in every “industry” from education and law enforcement to legislation and entertainment are needed to level an equal and equitable playing field.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Think ahead, but take it one day at a time.” Building a Black news operation and content studio is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Revolt Black News Studios is expanding into the documentary space. We want to tell untold and underrepresented stories in a more in- depth, long form, and deeply investigative way. Some of these stories are difficult realities and others are enthralling expressions of Black joy and excellence.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
There needs to be space for more of us so our POVs aren’t seen as unusual or outlandish.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I’m a woman of great faith so King Solomon’s millennium-old Proverbs remain my brightest guiding light.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
A research and critical thinking movement. We now have more empirical data accessible to us than ever before in history. We all need to dig deeper to expose hidden truths. #TheMoreYouKnow
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I think it speaks for itself — “Let your life be shaped by integrity with truth written upon your heart.”
How can our readers follow you online?
Twitter: @ChenaultMonique
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Monique Chenault of REVOLT Media & TV On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.