Tag: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Going Against The Grain: Sylvia Komatsu

sylvia

 

Sylvia Komatsu is executive vice president and chief content officer for KERA/KXT.  She started her career as a reporter and documentary producer covering a wide range of social, political and cultural issues.  She now oversees a content division that includes radio, television, digital media and educational services.  Sylvia conceived and developed the national Emmy Award-winning series, The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848).  As executive and series producer, she oversaw this multimedia project, including a companion book, classroom materials and a bilingual website, which received multiple honors.  Among her many national public television credits as program executive are Sweet Tornado: Margo Jones and the American Theater, JFK: Breaking the News, Matisse & Picasso, For A Deaf Son and After Goodbye: An AIDS Story.  A native of Fort Worth, Sylvia is a graduate of HarvardUniversity and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.  She and her husband, George, live in Dallas.

Full name:

Sylvia Lynn Komatsu

Hometown:

Fort Worth

Current city:

Dallas

Ethnicity:

Japanese American

What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”  

Standing up for what you believe in.  Doing the right thing and staying true to yourself, even if it goes against social conventions.

What made you decide to pursue a career in public television?

I believe passionately in public media’s mission to create content that educates, informs and inspires.

What have been some of the challenges you faced/lessons you learned as an Asian American in this field?

Diversity matters.  It’s essential that our newsrooms reflect the communities we cover.  And while diversity includes race, ethnicity and culture, it also includes gender, age, class, sexual orientation, life experiences, points of view and more.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment, and why?

Helping to build a workplace with an incredibly talented team dedicated to excellence and public service.

What’s up next?

Expanding our local journalism.

Sign (Eastern Animal Sign & Western Zodiac): Sheep/Sagittarius

Passionate about: History, the arts, travel and being outdoors

 Favorite food: I love so many different foods it’s hard to single out a favorite. Plus it depends on my mood!

Can’t live without: Family and friends