Markette Smith: Alumna With M&M’s Dispenser on Her Desk Enjoying Sweet Success in Broadcast Journalism

Markette Smith, a California State University, Dominguez Hills alumna, attributes her current success as a reporter at WTOP.com News in Washington, D.C., to the education she received at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Landing the job as a reporter for the number-one news radio station in Washington, D.C., and number-eight radio station in the country, Smith has been with WTOP.com News for more than a year, and is known as the girl with the M&M’s chocolate candy dispenser on her desk.

Smith, who was a communications major and a French minor, attended Banning High School in Wilmington, Calif., and was drawn to the university, like many past and present students, because of its convenient proximity to home and its affordability. Smith loved media and news and recalls, “There was always something about news and storytelling that excited me from a young age. I was always writing, whether it was for my high school newspaper, or just in a journal, so I felt like this major would best serve my creative interests.”

“I decided to go to Dominguez Hills because it was what best fit my needs. I had to pay my way through school by working, sometimes up to three jobs, so it was a great bargain and was close to home,” recalls Smith.

Smith states how her favorite communications class was Dr. Edd Whetmore’s COM490 Senior Seminar, because it was very challenging. Smith recalls being frustrated at one point during the course, but appreciated how Dr. Whetmore challenged his students to deliver a superior product. COM 490, which is an integrative studies and in-depth analyses of the mass media and their role in society, is an advanced communications course that allows students to independently select a topic of interest that involves the media. Students independently research, prepare and present the research findings paper, along with sharing findings during seminar discussions.

“He really pushed us to do our best and little did I know at the time, that’s what’s expected in the working world if you want to make it. I remember him saying that he would not accept many errors in our work, but he never talked down to us,” says Smith.

Her preparation for a career in journalism began in her first photography class at CSU Dominguez Hills, where she learned how to take compelling photographs. Smith’s experience was further honed and perfected when she interned with DHTV , the campus's cable access station, where she did her first live, on-air report from Arianna Huffington’s Shadow Convention during the 2000 Democratic Convention. This brief stint led to other news writing and media opportunities for Smith.

Smith’s first assignment at WTOP News was the coverage of the Truck Driver Rally on Capitol Hill, where truck drivers had driven their big-rigs from across the country to converge on Washington, D.C., to protest labor laws.

“It was a cold and rainy day, and I could not have been more nervous. I remember running right in the middle of the street and sticking my camera in the face of a trucker named Bubba to interview him. My managers loved it! It still remains one of my highest-rated videos to date,” recalls Smith.

Writing and reporting are not the only aspects of Smith’s job at WTOP News. “I don’t only write the news and features stories, I shoot the video, write the broadcast scripts, record the voice-overs, edit and then [re-]edit the story into a one- to two-minute package. After that, I write a short story for our web editors to post on WTOP.com. Sometimes I even write anchor copy that is read on-air, and [write] teases [for] the website.”

With not much time to complete assignments in a rushed and deadline-driven atmosphere, Smith frequently completes full assignments within three hours and then moves onto the next assignment.

A typical day for Smith starts early with an editorial meeting, where she meets with the news director and morning editor of WTOP and is assigned a story to cover. She usually heads out the door by 9:30 a.m.

“The late morning is spent producing the story and the late afternoon is spent getting it live,” says Smith.

Being one of only a handful of African American multimedia journalists in the nation’s capitol, and one of the younger ones at 28, Smith sometimes finds it challenging and difficult to command respect, despite her credentials.

“I just look at it as paying my dues, though, because at the end of the day, I realize the enormous opportunity that has been offered to me and I am extremely humbled and thankful for it,” says Smith.

Smith’s goals as a reporter and multimedia journalist are to hone her journalism skills and to make an impact on the world. Her other dreams include working in broadcast television and publishing a magazine.

Smith’s advice to CSU Dominguez Hills students, especially those who are communications majors, is to believe in yourself and have faith. Smith says the opportunities will come, and stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people. Smith advises students to think strategically about their careers and to attend as many journalism workshops, seminars and conferences as possible, because those provide good avenues to meet and develop relationships with other journalists.

“I am a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and we often hold joint events with the Hispanic, Asian, and Native American journalist groups,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity to network.”

One year ago, Smith was known as the girl with the M&M’s dispenser on her desk, and that has not changed one bit. Even though she is now well on her way to a successful career as a professional journalist, when asked if she is still known for distributing the M&M’s, Smith says, “Yes! There is no replacement for them.”

- Angela Kelly, University Communications and Public Affairs Intern
Class of 2009, Communications