The Dynamic Soledad O’Brien
Changing the Narrative One
Untold Story at a Time
By Christine Bolaños
Soledad O’Brien climbed up the media ladder to eventually run her
own multi-platform media production company, Starfish Media
Group, at a time when Latina journalists rarely got to work in front
of the camera --- let alone anchor a morning show for a global news
network like CNN.
She accomplished this groundbreaking feat with tenacity,
integrity, grace and empathy. She became a role model for journalists of
color around the country, earning countless awards, including three
Emmys, all with a mission to tell the stories about people whose
perspectives often fly under the mainstream media radar.
The Afro-Cuban wears many hats as a documentarian, journalist,
speaker, author and philanthropist. She founded Soledad O’Brien
Productions, a multi-platform media production company that tells
empowering and authentic stories on a variety of social issues. She
anchors and produces “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien,” a Hearst TV
political magazine program. O’Brien also hosts the Quake Media podcast
“Very Opinionated with Soledad O’Brien” and serves as a correspondent
for HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.
“I love sports as a prism, as a window, to look at larger issues. You
can tell a lot about a community by looking at sports,” O’Brien says.
She joined HBO’s Real Sports’ Peabody-award-winning team in
2013 and reports regularly for the series, focusing on impactful stories
that often are underreported by national media.
Real Sports is TV's most-honored sports journalism series, with 33
Sports Emmy Awards, including 19 for Outstanding Sports Journalism.
Now in its 27th season, the monthly magazine broadcast produces
uncharted investigative pieces and in-depth profiles from across the
sports spectrum.
In Summer 2021, HBO Real Sports aired O’Brien’s profile on
Oksana Masters and her inspiring ability to overcome her traumatic
childhood and physical challenges to become a decorated Paralympian.
Masters is an eight-time Olympic Paralympic medalist and double
amputee who trained for her first Olympic medal while rowing on the
Ohio River.
“She's amazing, funny and had a traumatic and difficult childhood,
and then she started getting on the water and started skiing,” she shares.
“She's a phenomenal athlete, woman and role model who’s made it
through a lot of stuff."
10 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 27, No. 5, 2021
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