2018 Annual Guide: Sandwich

Paula Johnson. Photo by Paige Biviano

A day in the life of: Paula Johnson, executive director of Sandwich Community Television

By Allyson Plessner

As the executive director of Sandwich Community Television, Paula Johnson is not only a passionate community advocate, but also the town’s source for local news, events and important programs.

A morning person, Johnson says she likes to start her day on a positive note. “I like to go to the gym, meet my friends for a spin class, or go for a walk. I love the mornings, and I always try to make sure I’m doing something for me.”

Johnson spends a lot of time doing work on her laptop before even going to the office, answering emails, reading about the latest broadcasting technology, developing new program ideas, or planning to go to trade shows to make sure her team stays up-to-date with their equipment. Then it’s off to the studio for Johnson, who says that her team there works together like a family, making her job all the more rewarding. “I love my job and the people I work with. That’s what motivates me to get up in the morning,” she says.

Johnson has been instrumental in starting a local high school program for students interested in the news business. “Everything comes back to the kids for me,” she says. One of Sandwich Community Television’s most important functions is to cover government meetings and other political happenings in town, and Johnson likes to make sure students get involved with covering those events so that they can be more aware of their community and better understand what it means to be a trustworthy news source.