Rocsi Diaz hosted live on stage at the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture presented by AT&T Dream in Black, where she sat on a panel with Melissa Butler and Amber Anderson.
The New Orleans native shared her love for the city, the festival, and her career trajectory.
How have you navigated the media industry as a woman?
As women in the industry, you have to be on your game, you have to come prepared, you almost have to come double prepared than the men, and you have to show that you’re a professional. It sucks that you have to go above and beyond when others don’t have to.
It’s like one of those things as a woman you have to continuously prove yourself but you want to be known as that person that’s prepared, ready to go, that’s easy to count on and easy to work with. It’s very important, especially as a woman because don’t let us have one bad day because then it’s all of a sudden she’s this, she’s that and it’s so unfair.
Also, learn how to beat your face and do your hair because you never know when you get called. It’s those things that are important to know in this business as a journalist.
What is another career opportunity on your bucket list?
Well, I’m not an anchor yet at GMA3. Until I’m sitting in that chair next to Robin and Strahan, I’m probably not going to be satisfied. My best friend is here and she’s my witness. I always said it doesn’t get bigger than Good Morning America and I’m not going back to New York unless it’s a GMA-type check. It’s like it’s coming to fruition and I pinch myself every day. I’m like, “Just seeing those big Good Morning America doors. I tear up thinking about it. Everybody that’s following me along the way and cheering me on. It’s not just me out there, it’s all of us up there representing the culture.
Would you ever go back to “106 & Park” if the opportunity presented itself?
I would go back if Terrence J was next to me. I think “106 & Park” left the void. I do believe there’s a great duo, someone that’s out there, or even an old host that can bring it back in a new form. I don’t think we’ll be watching Top 10 videos anymore, but maybe we’ll be watching Top 10 Instagram Reels, TikToks, and trends. I’ve heard the rumors and if it did, I think that it would be great because it’s a void and there’s not a place for the culture to go speak freely. When you go to these big shows and you go to the night shows, you only get one minute or one segment, which people don’t realize and TV time is like nothing. When you went to “106 & Park” as a guest you had the whole show. I think that there’s a void for that and we need to bring it back somehow, someway.
