Media whore

So its been a rather busy past few weeks in my camp - mainly due to the fact that I've been accepting freelance shifts left, right and centre without the slightest thought to my own well-being *sob*.

Not that I'm in any position to be declining work anyway because I never know when the work will dry up. Plus, I actually enjoy what I do which is something I'm sure half the population can't agree with - I feel very lucky in this regard. As the saying goes "find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life'. These words of wisdom make perfect sense to me and I think about them often as I continue to make my first major steps in the world of broadcast journalism.

My busy schedule has tested me in many ways ...... physically, psychologically and financially if we're being honest. The purse - cough, cough, man wallet - strings have had to be loosened for the daily hour commute to the studio. The physical downturn is really due to lack of food, it's extremely difficult to find an opportunity to munch on a sandwich when working the newsdesk. I try to sneak a cereal bar into my gob whilst writing scripts, putting in calls for interviews, answering the phone (usually to someone who wants us to announce they have a missing cat on air), editing audio, making sure the work experience hasn't fallen asleep and all the rest of it. AND psychologically, well ... I guess I don't have much of a case here, just thought it would sound good .... sheer mental strain! haha.

Anyway, in a nutshell I've been running the afternoon drivetime news shift at a couple of local radio stations for a few weeks now - covering for the Head of News who's ill - and I've been loving it. Just goes to show I'm perfectly capable of producing top quality news day after day, and to a high standard. Something which I haven't been able to demonstrate in a full time capacity to date. Soon I hope though.

Bye for now
x

Monday Monday

So I went to work this morning without hesitation although slightly dubious whether or not I was actually booked in – silly right? Yes.

Turns out today's my day off. So there's me, strutting into the newsroom, cool as a cucumber, waving good morning to the girls on Sales – all the while it would turn out my one hour car journey would be wasted.

Fellow news hound Martha wondered down from the studio after her read at 11 o'clock bulletin, began walking toward the news-desk where I sat, paused and looked at me in surprise of my presence. I returned her look of bewilderment and quietly said …

“I'm not supposed to be here am I .. I start my week tomorrow?”.

She nodded, we shared a laugh and I bailed

Fighting like a Beaver

Ok ok so I've been away for a while, but for good reason - kinda!

As ever I've been fighting like a beaver to secure additional freelance work and get myself out there. As you know I find myself booked to work for a few weeks which is great, but the comedown which follows is somewhat tragic.  Typically I'm a few weeks on and a few weeks off, thus the mind numbing boredom which ensues during my downtime in-between work is relatively depressing - perils of being a freelance.

BUT, in recent weeks things are picking up - a sense of optimism? Noooooo. Don't lose your head!

As my extended stint at Sky drew to an end I was expecting the much anticipated 3 weeks off work to follow on cue. Turns out I'm in demand, and although I still have days off the periods of doing nothing are a lot shorter :D

I've picked up some more freelance work with the Local Radio Group who own a tonne of commercial radio stations across the country. The two studios closest to me - Dorset and Salisbury - have begun offering me work and booking me for the coming months which is great - not simply because it's work, but they obviously like the work I do.

Responsible for the Drivetime news operation I've been handed a great deal of responsibility. Produce, construct, write, report and read the news! Whilst having to get my head around a completely new system of output (buttons and stuff). But I'm doing well and have obviously impressed or they wouldn't call me back .. Must keep it up! Just goes to show I have the skills and knowledge to get 'er done despite no one wanting to offer me a staff contract ..

AND that's not it .. I have an interview on Thursday for a full time job at Sky Sports News *excited* toot, toot! .. SO lets hope this could be the one, and finally I'll be able to move to the Big Smoke.

Bye for now
x

Festival Tiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmeeee!

So the time is near, Glastonbury Festival is just around the corner and I'm getting pretty excited. So excited in fact I've made my Glasto list of "things to take" - I like making lists.

The aim of the list is to quite obviously help me remember the essentials. I can't think of anything worse than rocking up miles from home only to have forgotten a key item. It's silly to think that this small scrap of paper with pencil scrawling all over it can offer me much in the way of reassurance, but god darnit it does!

Staring into space ...

So it's my first day working at Sky News, and it's been rather uneventful so far if I'm honest.

I'm a step away from the studio floor and I can hear the presenters reading the autocue so clearly I needn't turn the sound up on my desk flatscreen. Although I'm so close, I still feel so far away ..