Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Lý Johnston.
Hi Kate Lý, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well first, I’m a New Yorker. People are always like, why are you such a bad driver? And that’s my excuse. I failed the driving test four times before the Culver City DMV passed me ‘cuz they’ll give anyone a license in LA. I’m also a queer Asian woman, so I’m literally a stereotype, but whatever.
I’ve always been a pretty outspoken and sort of eccentric person, and I wanted to be an actor my whole childhood. Yeah, I’m familiar with cyberbullying. I sing a lot, and I really love public speaking and performing. The thing is, I’m also really good at being a student. I studied a long time to get into NYC’s infamous Stuyvesant High School, known for its cheating scandals and structural racism rooted in its admission system, which made for a SUPER competitive and highly contentious environment, something I unfortunately thrive in. So while I’ve been a performer my whole life, for a while I also thought I wanted to do computer science because I felt like I had to use my smarts to my advantage. Yeah, I’m glad I got over that kind of mindset.
Anyway, I was also into politics growing up since my mom came to the U.S. from the Vietnam War and my dad thinks he’s a political pundit on social media – he is VERY funny and cynical, just like me!! – but I’d say Stuyvesant made me invigorated to get involved in shaping narratives about politics and culture, and driving conversations that people can learn from. That’s why when I came to USC, I knew I wanted to be a part of media and television. And I’m a pretty good writer too, so I just sort of stumbled into the journalism major without knowing if I’d like it, and I feel super lucky for that. The major is totally me.
I’m the type of person who likes to do everything all the time, from adding (then dropping) seven different minors at USC to accidentally committing to five different part-time jobs in one semester, just because I wanted to do them all (And I did! I was just stressed a lot. Would not recommend.), but it turns out, being a little chaotic and obsessed with learning serves me really well in journalism. Journalism allows me to write and produce and read and learn all the time, so I feel like an academic AND a creative, which is so awesome and fulfilling in different ways every single day. It also taps into my inner performer, which is how I ended up working for TMZ Celebrity Tours after graduation – I can be part of a newsroom, AND put on a show and make people laugh every day!! And of course, that job also leaves me time to do acting and other creative pursuits, which is super important to me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, no. Who WOULD? I didn’t get the TMZ job straight after graduation. I had two other jobs lined up – one I even started doing virtually while I was finishing up classes, for a couple weeks – and long story short, both jobs ended up not working out. Honestly, it wasn’t the right fit. I was miserable. I applied for unemployment the week before I graduated, and felt totally uninspired by the working world. I was like, I can’t believe this is all going down BEFORE I even graduated! But the day my second job fell apart, I got a call from a TV show I’d been interviewing for, and they told me they wanted to film with me. I was like, well I guess I’ll do this now and put off looking for another job! I also applied for NBC’s Page Program, which everyone I talked to told me I was a perfect fit for, since I interned at NBC three times during undergrad. I made it to the final interview round, but got rejected. It was for the best. While I was filming the TV show, I came to the realization that I hated all my other jobs because inside, I desperately wanted to be a creative. I wanted to be out in Los Angeles meeting people and doing something with my talents, or at least getting out from behind my computer screen. I’m too young to be jaded! So I made a commitment to the arts, got new headshots taken, and applied to a Craigslist ad for TMZ Celebrity Tours. And here I am now.
It was definitely hard to let go of the stability – and the income – a job with a big company would’ve provided me. During undergrad, I interned for BuzzFeed News, NBC News, NBC Dateline, and Ghost House Pictures. I had news stations across the country emailing me every day, saying they saw my producing reel on YouTube and wanted to talk to me about entry-level producing roles. The thing is, I can totally see myself being a news producer, and I think I’d want to do that one day if Los Angeles really, truly breaks me. But if I left right now, I’d regret it my entire life. AND my unemployment benefits last an entire year, so I might as well just ride that out.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’d say I was known in USC’s journalism school for being really adamant about the stories I felt were worth pursuing. I love making people learn and laugh, and I really care about diverse perspectives. I’m not just saying that to look like I care – I take it to heart! I became really focused on covering Asian stories to shed light on how complicated and unpredictable U.S. politics is. I love reporting on social movements, elections, and people who are often dismissed as uncredible – I have sympathy for villains, always (without excusing their behavior, of course).
I recently reported a story for BuzzFeed News on misinformation and conspiracies in the Vietnamese American community due to the popularity of far right Vietnamese YouTubers that many elders rely on to get information about U.S. politics, and that was truly the most fulfilling reporting experience of my life. I spent around six months diving into research on this topic, and I learned so much about the community I call my own and how much social media plays a role in shaping people’s politics. The reporting process was so complex and emotional, because for so many people I talked to, this issue dominates their lives. It destroys their families. It deserves attention, just like so many other issues in immigrant communities, whose narratives are often overlooked. Newsrooms need reporters who understand the issues facing their communities and who can bring those stories to the forefront. The days of separating the story from the journalist are over; your perspective shapes how well you’re able to report a story, and how much sources trust you – there’s gotta be enough trust there for sources to share the part of themselves that hurts, that’s vulnerable, that demands attention. I think I successfully covered this story with the sensitivity and context it required, and it actually did end up making an impact in the community, and I’m really proud of that. I’m all about impact journalism, and bettering the communities we’re meant to be serving with our work.
How do you think about luck?
People are born with a certain amount of luck, and then they have to figure out how to use it. I feel incredibly lucky to have been born into circumstances where I was able to prioritize academics, because my curiosity and drive to learn is everything to me. It’s given me something to hold onto through the worst times in my life, and something to love about myself when I’m feeling worthless, which happens often because, like, mental illness. I may be sad, but at least I’m a good student! Putting it that way, that sounds kind of sad. Oh well.
I feel lucky to be Asian – I love my community deeply. I feel lucky that my mom was able to make it out of war and that my grandma Minh didn’t die all the times she was told she should’ve. Love you grandma. I feel lucky I have women in my life who are just freaking badass (that includes my grandma), whose strength I will always admire. And I feel lucky that these women taught me to always stand up for myself, and to not be afraid of doing something different. In high school, when all my friends were going to Ivy Leagues, I knew I needed something different from life to be happy. I watched the movie “The Graduate” with my dad, and something about how lost, impulsive, and agitated Dustin Hoffman was really resonated with me (bahahhahaha!). So I decided to go to California, because I loved the way it looked in the movie. I’m not kidding. I get myself into crazy situations all the time just by following my impulses, and then I make it work and become better in the end. I feel lucky that USC has given me so much access to opportunities that I’ve used to start my career doing the things I love, and I feel lucky to be able to keep doing that as I build a life for myself in this city that still feels brand new to me.
I ultimately just wanna do good for the world and the people I love, change the industry for the better, and be creative every day. And learn how to be happy, one of these days. As the USC marching band shouts at you during your first year of band camp: “Figure it out, freshman!” I have big ideas, I love to take risks and innovate, and I know how to take care of myself. Now, my biggest struggle is learning how to calm my mind.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: katelyj.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/katelyj
- Twitter: twitter.com/simplykately
