Careers - Working in broadcast journalism
In another of our careers interviews, The LINC spoke to Wigan-based TV journalist Dave Guest to find out what it's like working for BBC, what skills you need to work in broadcast journalism and what advice he'd give to potential journalists.
What is your job title?
Chief Reporter – BBC North West Tonight.
How long have you been doing this job?
I’ve worked in TV for the BBC for twenty seven years, and I’ve been a Chief Reporter for three of those.
What does your daily routine entail at work?
There isn’t one, which is why I like the job so much!
You never know what you’re going to do, what stories you’ll be working or who you’ll be speaking to from one day to the next, so it can be quite exciting.
I also do bits for the radio as well, so it’s quite varied.
Is there anything else you like about your job?
I’d say the variety is the main thing, as well as meeting lots of people and getting to do lots of weird and wonderful things that I wouldn’t get to do otherwise such as flying on Concorde’s final flight.
I’ve been abroad for work quite a lot too and that’s always good. One of my favourite places to go to was Jerusalem, and I also went to Rome to cover the funeral of the last Pope. Just to do something like that and be a part of history was an experience.
What would you say are the worst?
Spending all day standing outside the courts waiting to interview someone, only to find out later that the story has been dropped because something else has come along.
What would you say are your favourite stories to work on?
I like it all and I’ll do anything and everything; from the big lead stories to the weird end-of-programme stories.
You get to meet famous people but you also get to meet ordinary people who become famous because they’re on the news, it’s no different,
Does that happen a lot?
Not too often, but it just happened to me today!
For how long have you wanted to do your job?
Since I was fourteen. My dad was a journalist and it was just something I always wanted to do; I always wanted to be a journalist and I always wanted to work in TV, that was the game plan and I stuck with it.
What qualifications do you need to do your job?
When I left school, I just had my O-Levels and I was able to get a job on a local newspaper and work my way up from there. Things have changed a lot now though, and you’ll need to be educated to at least a degree level.
A lot of people who are thinking about becoming journalists automatically go and do a Media degree, but that doesn’t always work; media courses are all about studying the media rather than finding out how to do it.
What I’d suggest is to go and do a degree, and then do a post-grad in journalism.
What other skills do you think are useful to being a journalist?
You have to be nosey and very interested in people, be flexible and prepared to have no routine to your life. You also have to be prepared to never take no for an answer.
Is that something you find easy to do?
I think it’s all about your character. If you’re a very shy person and lack confidence you’ll probably find journalism isn’t for you, which a lot of people do.
I’ve known of people coming in to do work placements and by three o clock they want to go home, even though the programme doesn’t go out until six! You have to be dedicated and really want to do it.
You mentioned that you left school and went to work on a paper, how did you make the move from newspapers to television?
Like I said, I’d always wanted to work in TV, but I started in papers as a way to get a lot of experience. I worked on the Wigan Evening Post and lots of other local, regional and even national titles, then basically wrote to the BBC and asked if there was any jobs going.
Got my foot in the door and did lots of different jobs at the BBC for the next twenty seven years.
Why would you recommend this job to others?
I would, but only to the people who have the qualities that are needed to be successful.
What advice could you give to young people thinking about a career in broadcast journalism?
Ask yourself this: ‘what do I watch at 6 o clock at night? Is it the news or is it Hollyoaks? If it’s Hollyoaks, do I then watch the news at ten o clock or do I watch something else instead?’
What I’m getting at is that if you never actually watch the news, why would you want to be a journalist? If you know about what’s in the news, for example if you know who the Chancellor of the Exchequer is, then you’ll probably be able do to it.
I mean, journalism isn’t rocket science; it’s about asking some basic questions, listening to what people are telling you and reading between the lines a bit; not just sticking to the script.
You need to be outgoing and be able to talk to lots of different people, from Prime Ministers to prostitutes.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Pursue your dreams to the utmost and go for it. Be determined and be commited.