keeping in touch
lorikeet travelled down my forehead and began pecking me in the eye — not so much that it hurt, but I could not stop laughing. Then a few more started crawling down my head and onto my shoulders. I carried on through the report and it ended up all over our social media because it was just hilarious. (you can view Rachel’s bird adventure here: http:// bit.ly/1drSaaV). Do you ever get tired of talking about the weather/traffic? RS: I love providing information to people no matter what I’m chatting about. I love my job. Having said that, I do enjoy a break from in-studio anchoring and getting out into the community to deliver reports live on location. I love the interaction and being able to showcase an area of southern Ontario, and viewers always enjoy that part of the show. I also like working on stories where I can put some of my journalism skills to the test. What is the most challenging part of your job? RS: I work on the fly, and when crazy weather hits I need to play two roles,
reporting for TWN and TN. At any point of the day my manager can walk in and say, ‘I want you to be in this report or video. Can you do it?’ And my response is always yes. So I always find challenges at work and I love them. They test my on-camera skills and after every challenge I become a stronger reporter. What has surprised you most about being an on-air presenter? RS: How quickly my nerves went away and how fast I just jumped into the job. I’m rarely nervous. My excitement just takes over! I love being in front of the camera — it is my favourite place to be. How has Laurier helped you get where you are today? RS: Sue Ferguson, an associate professor of journalism at Laurier, left quite an impression on me. In one of her very first lectures, she said if you want to really get into this industry you should start volunteering at broadcast stations. With her advice I contacted Jason Souliere, producer of Rogers TV Brantford. Jason really noticed my eagerness and quickly let me jump into an on-camera role. I
remember standing out in the cold snow or the pouring rain, and loving every second of delivering the weather reports. That’s when I realized this job was truly made for me. Rogers really helped me gain all my on-camera skills, as well as editing, camera work, graphics — essentially everything you need to know to get a good grip on the industry. I also have to give credit to Conestoga College as well. It is part of a joint program with Laurier, and I made some fantastic connections. I developed skills not just as a presenter, but as a well-rounded videographer too. Where do you see yourself in the future? RS: I hope to remain with Pelmorex. There is so much opportunity here and I can see myself finding a lot of success with the company. Do you have a dream interview? RS: Every interview or report I do is a dream. I have fantasized about this job since I was eight years old, so to be doing it now for real is a dream come true! By Sandra Muir
LAURIER CAMPUS Winter 2013 33