Every Second Counts for Rutgers Alumna Working in Network TV
Journalism and media studies graduate Tia Clark produces some of daytime TV's biggest conversations.
In daytime television, timing is everything. The pause before a reveal, the beat before applause, the carefully measured two minutes that separates a tight segment from dead air. For Tia Clark, a 2016 Rutgers graduate and a three-time Emmy-nominated producer on ABC's Tamron Hall, mastering that rhythm started long before studio lights and celebrity interviews. It began in a Rutgers classroom with a stopwatch.
Clark, who majored in journalism and media studies and minored in sociology, still remembers the assignment that quietly predicted her career. "I'll never forget … we had to write a two-minute news segment and read it aloud to the class while our professor timed us," she says. "My segment timed out to be exactly two minutes, and I was so proud. Every second counts in TV, and that's a skill I need to be aware of when I'm scripting my episodes."
Nearly a decade into daytime television production, Clark has built a résumé that tells the story of how she manages chaos and storytelling. She has worked across TV—from conflict-driven programming, including Judge Jerry and Jerry Springer's Court Show, to the entertainment news staple Extra—and now serves as a producer entering her third season on Tamron Hall. Clark says her work across genres is no different from her work behind the scenes supporting the mechanical aspects of running television shows.
"So many lessons I learned in school come into play in my day-to-day work," Clark says, rattling off industry shorthand like second nature: "pronouncers," "b-roll," "sots" (sound on tape), "nats" (natural sound), and scripting precisely to time. But technical fluency, she explains, is only half the job. The real craft lies in asking interview subjects better questions.
The Luxury of Real Conversation
"The biggest skill I've carried with me is writing questions and conducting interviews, staying away from yes or no questions and always asking who, what, when, where, why, how," she says. Her confidence, however, didn’t arrive overnight. When she worked her first red carpet in 2018, Clark admits she was "so nervous," relying heavily on prepared questions rather than instinct. "I was definitely going through my checklist of questions, and not really having fun with it."
That changed with experience and with space to slow down. "Today, I can say that interviewing is by far my favorite part of my job," she says. Unlike the frantic scramble for viral sound bites typical of red carpets, daytime television allows for the rarity of time. "The luxury of working as a producer for a daytime talk show like Tamron Hall is that I get to have real and authentic conversations with serious depth, since I am not rushed."
Those conversations often begin long before cameras roll. Clark conducts extensive pre-interviews with her subjects, sometimes lasting an hour, to build the rapport that ultimately shapes what audiences see on screen. "I’ve really fallen in love with it," she says.
That approach recently paid off when Clark produced Grammy-nominated rapper Fetty Wap's first television interview following his release from prison. With her confidence replacing her nerves, Clark says she now interviews differently. She listens first and reacts second. "I can really engage fully in the conversation, listen to what they're saying, and improv my next move from there rather than just running through a checklist," she says. "The best interviewers are the ones who listen."
The result of her interview with the rapper was an exclusive moment that made headlines: Fetty Wap discussing earning his GED and taking HVAC courses while incarcerated. For Clark, these breakthroughs are proof that trust, not pressure, drives meaningful storytelling. When guests feel comfortable, she says, conversations shift. "They feel like it's more of a 'conversation' than an 'interview' which builds trust and can ultimately lead to them opening up about things they’ve never talked about before."
Some stories hit closer to home. One of Clark’s favorite exclusives involved actor Dylan Sprouse, who shared with her the story behind his proposal to model Barbara Palvin—a conversation that came just one month after Clark’s own engagement. "I was really proud of that and personally invested in that conversation," she says.
Building a Network From Scratch
Despite career milestones, Clark remains closely tied to Rutgers, maintaining relationships with faculty who helped launch her career. She stays in touch with Teaching Professor Steven Miller, director of the undergraduate Journalism and Media Studies program, and frequently returns as a guest speaker in Lecturer John Samerjan's public relations class—a full-circle moment for someone who once entered the industry without connections.
"I came into this industry with zero connections," Clark says. "None of my friends or family members worked in entertainment, and as an undergrad, I had to start building my network from scratch."
Which brings her to the advice she once dismissed but now repeats relentlessly: networking. "It's the biggest thing I heard as a student … but I didn’t understand the importance of it until I graduated—NETWORKING!"
Television, she says, is unpredictable. Shows get canceled. Layoffs happen. Stability is never guaranteed. Relationships, however, endure. "You could have the best experience and most impressive résumé in the world, but maybe the hiring manager never sees your résumé," she says. Opportunities often come from people advocating behind closed doors … sometimes unexpectedly. "I once got a job because of a recommendation from a former intern of mine. Anyone can be an impactful connection."
Her advice to students is practical and urgent: build relationships early, stay in touch, and start now. "If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile right now, make one. Connect with me!"
For Clark, success in television isn’t about chasing headlines or stealing moments. It's about earning them—one conversation, one carefully timed segment, and one listened-to answer at a time.
Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.
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