Journalist & TV Producer - Barcelona

Can you tell us more about your work as a field producer?

In Toronto, I recently wrapped up the last season of Cyberwar, a VICELAND television documentary series about hacking and the geopolitical implications that online world has on the real world. In October 2016, I moved to Barcelona, Spain, where I’m currently living. Part of my goal incoming here was to study Spanish, as I’d like to pick up a second language as another professional skill. I’ve just started working again on the second season of Cyberwar, doing research for the episodes I’ll direct and produce.

I work as a field producer. It’s my job to figure out what kind of story we’re trying to tell and how to tell it. Once I get the episode and topic assigned, I research stories, identifying people we want to talk to, and reaching out to them for interviews. I create an outline of what the episode is going to look like. I also work with an associate producer and/or a researcher, and we have discussions as a team, with the host, story editor, editors, shooters, the show runner, and executives. It’s truly a team sport. In my case, I’m lucky to be able to go out directly in the field to actually direct the episodes that I produce. I’m a producer and a director. In the field I work with the host, who interviews subjects and reports on camera, while the director of photography nails the look we’re trying to achieve. I work with two camera operators who are both actively involved in setting up scenes, but I also provide input and help ensure things are running smoothly.

How did you end up in this role? Please tell us about your career trajectory – what skills and experiences contributed to where you are today?

In 2008, I graduated from Ryerson University’s journalism program, majoring in broadcast and online, and minoring in politics. During my degree, I worked as an intern for CBC radio, which led to finding part-time work for As It Happens, a CBC radio program. After graduation, I picked-up some short-term contract work for CBC and CTV– but I struggled to find a full-time, permanent position. As a result, I began working for a non-profit organization in Toronto doing environmental education with youth. It wasn’t a lucrative journalism job, but it was definitely fun spending time with young people, teaching them how to do media interviews and create workshops and presentations about issues that mattered to them. It wasn’t what I imagined I’d be doing after graduating, but it was a cool surprise. Then I went on work for local current affairs CBC radio shows Metro Morning, and Here and Now. Mostly, it was casual work. I was never clear what my schedule would be months in advance. Sometimes it would end up being a day of situation, whereas other times I’d be booked for weeks in advance.

After a few years, I began gunning for a permanent position with the CBC. I was successful in joining their syndication unit. In the same way that Canadian Press for example provides articles for newspapers, they produce current affairs interviews, news clips – a lot of the international and national content you might hear on a regional show. I was also working with a doctor to produce a weekly medical column about various health issues. I made many good relationships at the CBC, and managed to gain the permanent position. After some time; however, I felt I had gained as much experience as I could, and it didn’t seem like I’d have the opportunity to try anything new. I had to make a hard choice of asking: do I want to hold on to this stability, or move on? I decided to leave, although I left on great terms with my colleagues at the CBC. During my last week at the CBC, I was offered a job by VICELAND to work as an associate producer for Cyberwar. I worked with great producers, although as an associate, I wasn’t going out into the field. The following year, I was bumped up to producer and director status, and in 2016, I directed/produced four episodes.

What do you enjoy most about working internationally as a field producer?

I’ve always wanted to be a field producer, although it’s practically an extinct job today. As a field producer, you’re often travelling and working long days; you’ll be working until late in your hotel room, trying to plan for the following day. There have been times when, for example, I get off a 12-hour plane ride, have to handle logistics, like buying SIM cards for everyone, and then be ready for an interview within an hour. While it’s amazing to travel and I want to continue working in this field, I have to say that you’re not always able to see much of the places where you’re working. You’re often limited to your story and the people you interview. At the same time, I love being able to explore a story in depth, and be able to travel into people’s homes, encounter different worldviews and connect the dots to the larger story. I think that doing long-format journalism can be very satisfying; it’s refreshing in comparison to working on breaking news stories, or updating death toll numbers.

What are some of the challenges you encounter in your work?

Finding people to interview is not always easy; it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. It can be challenging to meet people who are authentic representations of different communities. You don’t want to look for the usual suspects – the goal is to bring new, diverse voices to the table to tell a story. But you’re always racing against time. The shoot days come up faster than you expect and at some point you have to go with what you have. If your subject matter is sensitive, many people may not want to speak with you, and if they do, you might wonder why. It’s a balance of trying to bring the right voices to the table and get a true sense of issues, while working within your time constraints. It’s challenging, but also fun.

You mentioned earlier that a field producer is an “extinct job”. What do you mean?

If you look under job listings for field producer positions, there really aren’t any. Occasionally, you hear about the “unicorn” job – for example, someone travelling around with Adrianne Arsenault and you wonder, ‘That job exists?’ In Canada, there are very few job postings for field producers. The journalism industry has faced many cuts over the years, so this might have to do with smaller budgets. In general, there are fewer people doing international work; people also work in smaller teams. The media industry in Canada is also much smaller than in the U.S. My colleagues in the U.S. have more media outlets and emerging digital platforms to work with. We just don’t have that same critical mass in Canada.

What kind of abilities, skills, and experiences does it take to succeed in your field?

Thick skin and persistence. You can’t be too alarmed when things don’t work out in your favour; for example, if you apply for a job, and someone else is successful. It’s easy to put all of your eggs into one basket, and when things don’t work out, you think the worst. But you have to keep trying. You have to be willing to accept many people saying “no” to you before you get a “yes.”

It also helps to develop strong research skills, and to work to constantly improve these skills. Beyond Google, how do you find your information? How do you find certain people and verify what they tell you is true? How do you foster relationships with people and communities? The research process is important. You don’t want to simply recycle news. You want to be able to capture new, refreshing perspectives.

Do you think having a specific degree or type education is important or relevant to getting work in your field?

It’s an interesting debate. For me, it made sense to do a journalism degree because I was paying for school out of pocket. I had no financial support. What I liked about having a professional BA is that it gave me the skills I needed to immediately enter the workforce. Some of the courses that we were doing mimicked a day in the field. In my first year, I was in the field, doing interviews with people, learning about court reporting, walking up to people on the street and getting over the fear. Many peers got degrees in history, economics, or even sciences, and followed up by doing a one to two-year diploma in journalism.

A journalism program can help you make amazing connections. For me, my first jobs were through an internship program organized by Ryerson University. I didn’t just graduate and someone handed me a job, but it allowed me to get a foot in the door and make connections with people in the field. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have understood the working spaces, or the work flow for different media outlets.

But it really depends on how much time and money you have. Do I think that without an academic background in journalism, you can’t do it? Absolutely not. There are so many people doing amazing work as journalists – some are dropouts. But be realistic. Ask yourself: how much debt will I have? How long will it take me to pay off? How long can I afford to look for a job and make rent? You can’t assume that a degree will guarantee a certain cash flow. This can be a common mistake. Sometimes young people think if they go to university, they’ll immediately find a job that pays OK. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. It’s hard and I worry that a lot of talented people have to give it up, because they just can’t afford this level of uncertainty. I barely could.

For people who are either just starting out in their careers or looking to move into this kind of work, what’s your best advice in terms of tangible steps a person could take to move in that direction?

Just start doing it. It’s never been easier to publish your own work and to find affordable recording equipment. Many people say that blogs aren’t news. But if you’re already on Facebook and you’re interested in being a journalist, why not set up a blog, a Vimeo account, or something where you’re publishing your work? Or buy a cheap audio recorder and gain practice by interviewing people. There are so many resources online. This American Life, for example, is so encouraging of people telling their own stories. They have a website that recommends software and workflows for recording your own podcast/radio stories. There are online courses being run by award-winning geniuses giving you information on how to do things.

Don’t wait for people to give you a job. I know people who hold down jobs that aren’t at all media-related and have made their money that way, but they keep making steps towards their larger goal. I think that’s the way to go. Don’t wait to be anointed, to be called a journalist.

Additionally, think about gaining information about digital security, learning how to protect your computer, and how to communicate with sources safely. Look at different ways to research, analyze information, and fact check information – those skills will never be unwanted. You’d be surprised by how many people in the professional world don’t always fact check. We can all fail in this regard because of the constraints of time and deadlines. Call your sources to confirm facts early on, and it won’t go unnoticed by people.

Most importantly, watch and read. If you want to be a journalist, you need to consume media. Get an idea of what kind of media you want to make.