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When Dana Goodman ’97 started working as Barbara Walters’ assistant at ABC’s live daytime talk show “The View,” she didn’t suspect that six years later, she’d take home an Emmy Award as a producer for the program, which was voted Best Talk Show.
“We were shocked,” says Goodman, who explains that “The View” has been nominated in all six of its years on the air. “We thought there was no way [we were going to win] because the show had been nominated for so many years without winning.”
Goodman spent two years as an assistant to the executive producers, Walters and Bill Geddie, before being promoted to assistant producer and then to producer a year later. One of six acting producers, Goodman’s duties range from coming up with story ideas, writing scripts and interview questions, and booking guests to editing and film work.
“It’s everything from interviewing a celebrity about what movie they’re promoting to doing a serious segment on women’s health,” says Goodman of the show’s content, a variety that keeps her job interesting. “We don’t just produce one type of thing.”
Goodman says that because “The View” is filmed live, the challenge lies in staying on top of current news and trends as well as being able to troubleshoot in a pinch. “For example, I just had a guest fall out on Tuesday night for Thursday’s show,” she says. “Anything can happen at the last minute.”
A history graduate, Goodman credits her Lafayette experience with helping her get to where she is today.
“Most people think ‘Oh, you’re a history major, what skills could you have learned?’” she says. “But all the writing, reading, and researching, the term papers and library skills have really come in handy.”
Goodman also took advantage of internship opportunities, which she said were the most important means of gaining a foothold in a business that is “all about connections.” She interned at CBS Morning Show, Madison Square Garden, A&E’s Biography, and finally, KYW News in Philadelphia.
“My senior year I was driving to Philly about three days a week,” recalls Goodman. She did everything from assisting newscaster Larry Kane to going out on the job with reporters. In the end, Kane made the call that helped her land the position at “The View.”
Naturally, winning an Emmy Award in her third nomination as producer is a career highlight.
“It was the best feeling,” says Goodman. “Sometimes it’s hard to come up with this stuff every day — the Today Show had 40 producers [doing the work], and there’s only six of us.”
The small staff may make Goodman’s job more challenging, but it also allows for a very real sense of camaraderie.
“We’re like a family. We all walked up [to accept the award]; it was great that we won together. It’s so nice to get recognized for what you do every day.”