How did you get to where you are now? A lot of hard work. I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve been working my butt off since I got in the industry. When I left uni there weren’t really any jobs going for entry journalists. I applied for dozens of jobs but was always told I didn’t have enough experience, even though I had done countless internships and finished top of my class. 

I eventually got a job in Canberra as a news assistant. It ended up being a fantastic start in the industry getting to work alongside two excellent News Editors; Doug Hogan and Hugh Whitfeld and being able to be a sponge for the first year learning everything I could from them. Eventually I got a job as an on camera reporter in Lismore. The pay was bad. I did HOURS of overtime which you don’t get paid for, but the experience was invaluable. After 18 months in Lismore I got a job in Bundaberg with the 7 Network. Again in Bundaberg it was much the same, the pay was a little better but the hours were just as long. I’m talking 12 hour days that are exhausting, emotional and stressful, but it was all worth it, scouring every piece of local news, making sure you were the number one. Another 18 months on I’d changed from Reporter to Chief of Staff. Then I took up a role with Today Tonight in Adelaide which I’ve been working at since September and absolutely love it.

Why did you become a Journalist? I’ve always been a nosy person. Always wanted to know what’s going on…and I’m very much a people person, I love talking to people and listening to their stories. In this job I get to do all of that every day and call it work, it’s great!

What do you love about your job? Just about everything, I know most people will say that’s ridiculous. But I feel like all those long hours and stressful times in regional news have paid off. Yes there are days where I wish I’d just stayed in bed in the warm embrace of my blankets…but those days are few and far between. I love the people I work with, the stories I get to tell and the people you get to help.

Has there been a significant moment in your career?

Yep, this was me… It was during the big flood disaster in Bundaberg in 2013, we were exhausted, hadn’t slept in a week, and were running around talking to people whose homes had been destroyed. Dear old “Jack” thought it was the perfect time to play a game with the poor journalist interviewing him. I can laugh about this now, but at the time I thought my journalism career was over. There have also been a lot of moments in my career which have been challenging and testing. In this job you’re usually one of the first on scene to any major accident or disaster. You see a lot of death and destruction. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen dead bodies, and people die while paramedics are trying to save them. Then there’s the stories that just break your heart, the flood victims that have been hit twice in two years, who have just rebuilt their homes only for it to be washed away again. Its stuff like that which makes you grateful for what you do have.

Would you still choose this career knowing what you know now? Absolutely! People say it’s a dying medium and you shouldn’t go into it. But I absolutely love what I do. I remember for the three years I was at uni every person I told what I was doing would answer with, “ohhh really, that’s tough, very hard to get into that industry.” But, hey, look at me now! And I’m no one special; I just worked really, really hard. People will always need news to be delivered in some medium; it’s just about adapting to the times and being flexible to move with it.

Looking back at where you were when you started, where did you think it was going to lead you? Honestly I had no idea. They say in journalism you need to be flexible to get the jobs, be willing to move etc….but if you’d asked me 5 years ago if I’d now be living and working in Adelaide I’d say hell no! I always thought I’d end up in Sydney but hey, you never know what’s around the corner.

What do you wish you knew starting out? It gets better. As much as we all dream about leaving uni and starting out in that perfect job it rarely happens. You have to start small and work your way up. Persistence does pay off.

What advice do you have for students wanting to get into the field? Do it! And throw your whole self into it. If this is what you want you will have to make sacrifices, move to places you’ve never heard of or been too. But I guarantee if you stick it out, it will be worth it. Try and find a mentor too, I think it helps if you know someone who’s done what you’re trying to do to show you that it can be done and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Who do you look up to in your field? So many people! I work with some very smart people at Today Tonight including Graham Archer, Rodney Lohse, Frank Pangallo, Rosanna Mangiarelli, basically the whole team! There are also the journalists who I’ve looked up to most of my life. People like Chris Reason from 7 in Sydney. He is a wordsmith to say the least, just look at his coverage of the Lindt Café Siege. There are also countless other Journalists I could name in Brisbane and others in Sydney but the list would go on forever.

What helps you get through your day? My mantra at the moment is, “Be a good human.” There’s a lot of bitching in this industry, back stabbers and people that will do anything to drag you down to make themselves look better. You just need to remember to run your own race. Also COFFEE! I would be a puddle at my desk if I didn’t have coffee. We’re very lucky to have a machine at work but also I have a Nespresso machine at home which is my go to as soon as I wake up in the morning.

Anything else you would like to add?

BE A GOOD HUMAN!