Due’s ability to maintain journalistic excellence while promoting inclusivity and diversity is reflected throughout CNN, on and off the air. Special employee programs like the skills-building MasterCraft and LIFT (Leaders Impact the Future of Talent) mentoring program support mid-level staff, notably women and people of color, ensuring CNN has a strong pool of diverse talent ready to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry.
“I was a junior associate at a Wall Street law firm in the 1990s accompanying a partner into a client meeting with an Eastern European airline. I remember the president of the airline assuming I was an assistant. I don’t know if it was because I was a young woman or a young Black woman, but it was obvious he was surprised to see me. He was embarrassed by his assumptions, which I did not hold against him since there weren’t many of us at law firms like that, and he developed a deep respect over the years, even thoughtfully sending me the annual holiday calendars from the airline.”
What needs to be done to continue the growth of women’s sports? We need continued investment in programming and marketing. That’s why I am so proud of TNT Sports for recognizing years ago the potential in women’s sports and developing a strategy which has led us to our multi-year media partnership with the Unrivaled women’s basketball league. As part of that partnership, we will not only be presenting live game coverage, but we are also investing in the league itself which will help us shape and amplify continued growth in women’s sports and bring equity to the talented players.
What’s a skill you’re currently working on? (work-related or non-work related) One skill—or rather practice—that I’m working on is self-care. I’m not always very good at it, but I know how important it is, and I am very good at proselytizing it to my team, colleagues, family and friends. I hope one day through continuous focus on this, people will say “she’s really walking the walk.”