By Anastasia Tubanos
She’s been called both the “Barbara Walters of YouTube” and the “Ryan Seacrest of Web TV,” notable comparisons in their own rights. And once you take a step back and get a real sense of how much Shira Lazar does, it’s obvious she’s one-part journalist, one-part entertainment reporter and 100 per cent a leader and innovator in the world of digital media.
And the best part? She’s genuinely excited about it.
Lazar is cross-platform journalism at its finest, often straddling the worlds of traditional media and new media in a seemingly, effortless hustle. She has an extensive resume consisting of on-air gigs on Court TV, NBC, DirectTV, Reelz Channel and dozens of websites. Most recently, she is the host of a video blog for CBSNews.com called “On the Scene” where she examines social trends and pop culture. She recently interviewed YouTube viral sensation Antoine Dodson, known for his unexpected role in the auto-tuned song “Bed Intruders,” a video that has received more than 2.5 million views.
“When I started approaching news networks, I wanted to be the young voice of the network,” says Lazar. “When [Facebook founder] Mark Zuckerberg wants to do an interview he won’t go to the bigwigs, but he would come to me because I’m that link between the big networks and yet am authentic to the online community.”
Considering she’s a media maven of a new generation at the tender age of 27, Lazar started off with ambitions as an actress and television producer, leaving her hometown of Montreal to attend Emerson College in Boston, MA. She was soon hit by the hosting bug and it all went up from there, especially with a new life in Los Angeles, CA and the emergence of new media and video blogging.
“TV was always me waiting around and I didn’t want to wait around,” says Lazar. “The Internet let me create content when I wanted to. In traditional media, you needed to be a PA and get coffee and move up from there. Digital media levels the playing field. If you create a blog or video and it’s creating traction, people will respect you for that and drawing in those numbers.”
The first time Lazar realized she could be a video blogger professionally was in 2008 when she was hired by Nokia to blog for them at the Webby Connect Summit.
In December 2010, Lazar launched her latest show the “Partners Project” through her production company Disrupt Group. It’s a talk show looking at YouTube culture, specifically its online stars and their successes in creating communities, and in some cases, six-to-seven figure incomes.
In just under two months the channel has accumulated 18,000 subscribers.
In February, Lazar will be hosting the live webcast for the Grammy Awards at YouTube.com/TheGrammys. Building on an award-winning campaign, Lazar will be reporting from the red carpet, bringing viewers access to the hottest parties and interviews with some of music’s biggest stars. The livestream starts February 11 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
“I love being part of events where you know everyone online is talking about it and the Grammy’s is one of them,” says Lazar. “Social media has changed the way we consume entertainment and especially music. It’s amazing how artists have risen up beyond traditional means and are nominated. Look at Justin Bieber.”
It’s clear Lazar’s plate is more than full, and like any other entrepreneur, she’s always envisioning, evolving and considering what the next steps are for a cross-platform journalist like herself.
Currently, she’s mulling around a concept for a live and interactive online show for CBS News; not a huge departure from what she’s already doing with the network but a natural progression for where online media is headed.
“Sometimes you just have to jump into it and see what works and what doesn’t,” says Lazar. “The great thing about the Internet is you can make a quick change. Ask your audience and see what they say. Create that communication with these social media tools and make it a two-way conversation. It’s incredibly empowering to know you can create your own content and you can control your audience.”
For more on Shira Lazar, be sure to check out her:
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