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Meet Ilana Lowery of Common Sense Media in Midtown

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilana Lowery.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been interested in the news and in journalism. I was one of those kids who always asked “why,” so growing up and becoming a reporter and editor was exactly the right path for me. I knew it from the time I was on the high school newspaper — which ironically, was called the “Voyager.”

After graduating from high school in the South Suburbs of Chicago, I got a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Back then, there was no print journalism program at UIC, but I was convinced that broadcast was what I wanted to do — that is until I did it. I was a “gopher” for the NBC news affiliate in Chicago because that’s what you did if you wanted a job at a major-market television station. The whole first year, I made coffee, collected anchors’ dry-cleaning, collated scripts and took phone messages (remember, this was in the dark ages before the internet). I didn’t get a chance to actually “report” until I started working with the then-healthcare reporter, who really was a dentist!

After two years, I realized I missed writing, reporting, learning and asking “why.” The place to do that wasn’t at a TV station with its 30-second sound bytes and fierce competition both behind and in front of the camera. I left NBC and became a beat reporter for a daily community newspaper. It was exactly the right job for me at that point in my early journalism career! After a few years covering city councils, school boards, and community events, I made the decision to leave the cold and snow, so I headed West like so many from the Midwest have done. I was headed to California but stopped in Arizona to visit a friend of my parents in Chandler – which 30 years ago literally was out in the middle of nowhere. I got the grand tour of the Valley and fell in love with what I saw, the people, the climate, the opportunity … all of it. I decided I wanted to stay, but finding a job would be the deciding factor. I gave myself a month to find work. I had no choice, after that, I would be broke.

In the meantime, I took a job at Wild Pair (anyone out there remember Wild Pair?) in Fiesta Mall selling shoes. Retail would always be my go-to career because I grew up with a dad who worked incredibly hard to provide for his family of six by selling shoes. He taught me everything I know about sales, and I was able to pay my way through college with a part-time job selling shoes. But I digress.

Eventually, I saw an ad (yes, an actual classified ad) by Independent Newspapers looking for an editor for one of the companies community newspapers. I had never been an editor, but I figured, “how hard could it be?” I got an interview and was hired immediately. I was responsible for publishing the weekly Town of Paradise Valley edition, and while I didn’t know it at the time, it was a role that not only would lead to my long-time position as editor-in-chief at the Phoenix Business Journal, but a position that gave me the opportunity to meet some of the Valley’s most high-profile, affluent, and well-connected people in Arizona. My eight years with Independent Newspapers were some of my very best in the Valley!

Eventually, I was recruited by the Phoenix Business Journal to serve as a part-time editor and a full-time reporter covering hospitality, tourism, aviation, and banking — which was hilarious because I had never written a business or finance story in my entire career. It was baptism by fire, as I was thrown into covering the first America West bankruptcy. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time, but I loved it. I stayed at the Business Journal for 23 years, moving up through the ranks from reporter to editor to managing editor and then editor-in-chief. Over the years, as use of the internet grew and media strategy shifted from subscription-based to free content, we moved from a weekly print publication to a daily digital media outlet, and I oversaw that transition making sure we were still providing fair, balanced and complete reporting about the Valley’s expanding business environment.

I started serving as an adjunct professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University about five years ago. I saw firsthand how young people were viewing the media — at a time when the media was being crucified. The twin rise of the smartphone and social media meant our digital worlds were expanding and entertainment “news” feature stories was garnering the majority of online clicks and traffic — and advertising dollars. I even had students tell me they wanted to be the next Ryan Seacrest or work for “TMZ.” I was at my own personal crossroads. Media outlets were merging, dailies were shrinking and shuttering, and newspaper business models were blowing up. I saw the proverbial writing on the wall and seriously started thinking about what I wanted to do next. I decided to leave the Business Journal in June 2018 and find my next career. That happened in December when I became the first Arizona Director for Common Sense, a nonprofit group that studies how media and technology affect children. It is literally my dream job!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s never a smooth road professionally or personally. And that’s OK. We learn, grow and achieve even greater goals from those struggles.

People always ask me what the most difficult story I ever covered was, and I often ask other journalists the same question. Across the board, it was 9/11. Having to report on something so unthinkable and follow the stories through for weeks was difficult and draining for our newsroom. I had become editor of the Phoenix Business Journal just a month before the tragedy, so additionally, there was the team dynamic and culture that we had to consider. We had an outstanding newsroom at that time, and we pulled together for weeks to provide important business information to our readers.

Additionally, when the Great Recession hit in 2008, the media industry was smacked down hard. Newsrooms shrunk, print advertising dried up, and suddenly quality journalism was taking a hit, too. Profit margins were the priority, and giant national news conglomerates were making local decisions based on ROI.

Please tell us about Common Sense Media.
Common Sense recognized media as a powerful force in kids’ lives from the start. When it launched, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube didn’t exist yet, and sending emails and messages anywhere — and instantly — still was a novel idea. It was an exciting time for media and technology, but it also was a time of unease for families as it became clear that kids were spending more time with media than they were with each other. It’s much harder to keep up with how kids use technology now that the lines have blurred and moving from real life to digital life is as easy as asking your phone a question. The sheer amount of content available skyrocketed as cable and internet access increased, and it became virtually impossible to find the good stuff. We needed a better way to make smart media choices for our kids.

Technology often is a catalyst for good, but it can have real human costs. Parents, teachers, the media and even the leaders of the tech companies themselves are expressing growing concerns about the role tech may play on the social and emotional well-being of young people. That’s why our work is more vital than ever. Common Sense is the go-to source of information about kids’ well-being in the digital age. The goal of Common Sense is to call attention to the influence of media and tech on kids’ lives and to empower families with the information they need to be advocates for their children. We are like drivers’ ed for the internet and cell phones.

Our kids are on the front lines of a digital revolution. Devices, social networks, and media are changing childhood in radical ways. I am so proud to be associated with an organization that not only has been on the front lines of the revolution but is working hard to help kids grow up healthy and happy as the world accelerates around them.

Our Common Sense Arizona office will focus on three primary goals:
1. Raising awareness about the impact of media and technology on kids.
2. Empowering young people to use technology safely and responsibly and in support of their digital wellbeing.
3. Building families and educators’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in how to promote their children’s digital wellbeing and guide them in using technology safely and responsibly.

We know the pace of change only will accelerate. Over the next 15 years, Common Sense will continue to lead the way as an independent voice for kids and families. Our founders are longtime children’s rights advocates and educators committed to giving parents “a choice and a voice” in a fast-changing world.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
My likes and dislikes about Phoenix and the Valley as a whole go hand-in-hand because our growth has pros and cons. We are the world’s biggest small town! We are a relationship community and networking is a breeze. I love the people!! Our business community is very accepting of new people and ventures; our nonprofit sector is strong and open to collaboration, and I love that, as a region, we are becoming known nationally and internationally for our tech sector and entrepreneurial spirit.

What is frustrating is our state Legislature and our educational system. We have one of the most innovative state university presidents in the country, yet our K-12 system lacks quality funding, and as a result teachers and programs (I am in no way painting with broad strokes here. We have some amazing educators in Arizona, but they are not appreciated or paid appropriately.)

Pricing:

  • All of our materials, resources, ratings & reviews are free charge, and our K-12 digital citizenship curriculum is free to all schools.

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