Festival Interview with Yolanda Harris

Following two captivating food demonstrations, Yolanda Harris took a moment to speak with us about her festival experience. Atop Goodale Street in Columbus, Ohio, while Senobia & friends performed, Yolanda informed us about her journalism background and what she enjoyed most about the 3rd annual Food & Wine Festival.

Listen to the full interview audio.

TWL: Hello everyone, my name is Ian Romaker, and those cars whirring by are right under Goodale Street bridge. We got the whole street blocked off. And I'm here with none other than the WBNS CBS 10 woman herself, Yolanda Harris. Yolanda - how are you?

Yolanda: I am doing good!

TWL: I think the ambiance is spectacular. We just poured up one glass of the Veuve Clicquot. That's really all you need is a little to take the edge off. And right now, we're just hanging out listening to Senobia & friends. How is this vibe making you feel right about now, Yolanda?

Yolanda: I like it a lot. Hearing the music, enjoying the wine and champagne. It’s a great night for this.

TWL: 100% of the humidity is gone. The air is very clear.

Yolanda: Nice breeze.

TWL: I couldn't be more clear about the fact that you just had a great hosting performance. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Chef Christian Tolliver threw down during his demo!

Yolanda: We watched Chef Chris create a very delicious gourmet dinner. It was Cajun salmon fettuccine. That was fun; we got to watch and talk through that, and then everybody got a Chef Louis sample. After dinner, it was time for dessert from Donna’s Delicious Dozen. Then we got to make our own donuts as Andrew & I had a little competition. I believe my donut came out the best. Didn’t you think mine was cuter?

TWL: I gotta say yours had all kinds of aesthetically pleasing elements. I didn't taste it myself. But I did see the little heart on there. Honestly, I didn't see any heart design on Andrews not to take away anything from Andrew. But you might have the edge just slightly.

Andrew: People were buying mine because it was visually appealing to the stomach.

Yolanda: Is that right? I didn’t know the stomach had eyes.

TWL: It looked like it all went down smooth, and it’s a very smooth evening. A lot of people just read the initial part of the story and then go elsewhere. So in journalism, a lot of people make the mistake of burying the lede. When it comes to life and covering a story, how do you prioritize yourself first and put the meat of the story first? What is the importance of that?

Yolanda: You have to start the story with the most interesting tidbit of information. Suppose you start with what’s most interesting that holds people’s attention. It’s like an upside-down pyramid - you start with the best stuff that happened, and you work your way down.

The competition was roaring between Andrew Kinsey & Yolanda Harris while making their custom donuts

TWL: What do you think is the most impactful medium of communication in our world today?

Yolanda: The most impactful is your cellphone. Where’s the first place you get information from now? What do we have with us all the time? Our phones.

TWL: This whole clickbait stuff is for the birds. The content that is so important is the stuff that resonates with people. My thing is, you might not always remember what someone said, but you will always remember how they made you feel. Can you speak to that?

Yolanda: I agree. I think when you’re telling a story, you have to find the emotional angle. There always has to be a character. It just shows you how much of a good time you can have at an event like this.

TWL: Absolutely, the sociable relatable aspect is so important. What do you think is the most effective literary device for writers who may not know how to connect with an audience quite yet?

Yolanda: It has to be interesting.

TWL: What is interesting to you?

Yolanda: It depends on the day & what's going on like coming out here what's interesting to me is the people, the music, I'm interested in music, of course, the food how it's made.

TWL: 100%, so have you always been based in Columbus?

Yolanda: I have - I started with Fox 28, moved to ABC 6, and now I’m with 10 TV. I’m moving my way around town.

Yolanda Harris learns the intricacies of Donna's Donuts

TWL: For anyone who is getting started - what kind of advice might you give them? And what are you looking forward to in the future?

Yolanda: Know how to write. Every part of the job starts with that - you have to be a good storyteller. I am looking forward to retirement and having a little time to myself. Eventually, that will come. Right now, I’m just glad we’re actually getting to be out together like this.

TWL: I think you deserve it. I just met you today, but you can tell that you work hard and are unique. How do you stand out? How do you separate yourself from the pack?

Yolanda: You have to be on top of stories, cover the breaking news, try to be first, and you have to be accurate. Don’t rush it if you don’t have all the facts.

TWL: Any shoutouts or lasting sentiments for the people in the free world?

Yolanda: Shoutout to all of Central Ohio. If you watch Channel 10 WBNS, you get an extra shoutout. We appreciate you! Go out and have a great summer and be safe, everybody.

TWL: Thank you so much.