Melony Roy is director of social media for KYW Newsradio 1060, supervising the station’s interactive media branding efforts. A native of Camden, NJ, Roy is President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ), and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Best and worst decision?
“The best: joining social media. It has been interesting to have a job covering the social networks because I have been on them since the beginning. Worst: There was no pathway to a social media career, I had to figure it out myself. First, I only worked 9-5 weekdays. Now, social media is a 24-hour seven- day-a-week machine that needs content. Eventually, I had to ask for help, training and a team, but it took me being overwhelmed to ask for help.”
Dream job as a child?
“12 years old, I wanted to be a reporter. I was at a small Catholic school in NJ, at the beginning of the Catholic school closing. We were in the playground when a TV news truck pulled up and a beautiful Black woman emerged: the late Channel 10 reporter Sheila Allen Stephens. She interviewed me and I was on the news that night. That’s when my love of news began.”
Barriers to female leadership?
“The lack of female leadership in companies. There are no women above me I can reach out to or follow in their footsteps. Women need to be warm and likable, where a man doesn’t have to be. If your mentor is a man, you may follow with those masculine traits that don’t always work for you. You have to find women to guide you because the issues that men and women have are not the same. I have been lucky to find a few, but we need more women at the top to follow.”
Who inspires you?
“Michelle Obama. We have watched her lead by example with grace and dignity. She is a role model for all Black females. She has inspired a generation of women. Period.”
Challenges for next Generation?
“Prepresidential election, I felt that we were living in the Kim Kardashian world, and I was a little worried for them. Now, this generation has stepped up, and not just #hashtagging. They’re out marching. They have educated themselves on issues, like gender-based violence, reproductive rights and gender equality. It’s beautiful.”
