Our Montreal Internship

[intourmontreal]

April 1

Today is my last day at Our Montreal since I’ll be on Daybreak for my last week. I finished one of my scripts for next week’s show in advance and I am waiting on a source for a preinterview for the other so today was smooth sailing.

I’m glad I had the chance to do this internship at Our Montreal since it gave me more insight into what kind of work I’d like to do in the future and for which kinds of shows. The official title of the role I had was researcher, since I had to get information for pitches and prepare for interviews the shows would have. While this still does appeal to me, I did not like doing this as much as I thought I would because it felt very removed. Doing this position remotely definitely increased the disembodiment I felt but I still would have felt the similarly had I done this internship in person.

Furthermore, even though I liked that the scope of the show was broad, I found myself not enjoying the topics since we only got to cover them at a surface level. If I was a viewer watching the show, I would have been satisfied with the amount of detail we had. Yet, as a journalist, the process of putting them together was not fulfilling. 

One of my favourite things about the internship were the people I worked with. Granted, there were only three but I have nothing negative to say about anyone. They were all easy going and willing to help me when I needed it. Having good coworkers really makes or breaks a work environment, even if you like the work itself.

[intourmontreal]

March 30

Knowing when to end a conversation is a very valuable skill, one that I do not have. An interview that was supposed to last 20 minutes tops went on for 50 minutes because I did not want to cut the person off. This is not the first time this has happened. I feel the obligation to let them say their piece because they are doing me a kindness by agreeing to be interviewed by me. 

However, I realized today that I need to be more assertive. Letting interviews go on for too long is a waste of time on my part, both during and in post when I’ll have to listen to all of the content afterwards. My initial approach was to let people go on because they will provide information that they think is relevant that I might not have thought to ask about. Today I learned that even though this approach might give me some useful information, it is inefficient and not worth the benefits. 

Instead, it is better to ask pointed questions that get at the crux of what I want to find out. I need to learn how to communicate my ideas better and more efficiently which I can do by putting more effort into preparing my questions before interviews. I’ll admit that I have been going into interviews with only a very basic outline of what I want to ask and improvising on the spot based on what they would tell me. It is not a bad idea to ask interviewees different questions than the ones you had prepared if something comes up but I have been relying too much on this to carry my interviews.

[intourmontreal]

March 25

Today I did an interview with an author that lasted for an entire hour. At the beginning of my internship, my supervisor told me not to do interviews for longer than 20 minutes but the author was so interesting that I only started to feel like the interview was dragging on after 50 minutes. I let it go on that long because I was interested to find out more and have all of my questions answered. We interviewed him because he is releasing a book about his search for an Argentinian rebel and journalist that he found out he was related to because they shared the same uncommon last name.

I also spoke to the husband of an Inuit artist who is very well known in Canada. I was not able to speak to her directly since she had a bit of trouble understanding me. In hindsight, I do speak pretty quickly which can be difficult to follow if you are not a native english speaker. Even my mom has difficulty understanding me sometimes!

I learned from her husband that the reason she was not able to understand me is that she is a residential school survivor and was pulled out when she was in third grade. Based on what he said, I do not think she continued her education afterwards. He told me that for the interview, I will have to ask direct questions and not veer off topic too much so I will have to make an extra effort to be as clear as possible with my questions. This is a crucial skill to learn because journalism is all about communicating with people to get information. If you cannot adapt to accommodate your interviewee, you will not be able to get the information you need. More importantly though, not working with your interviewee to make sure they are comfortable is insensitive and disrespectful. 

[intourmontreal]

March 23

My shift went relatively smoothly since I had one script ready from Friday. Therefore, I only had to do the pre interview and write the script of one guest. The idea we had going in to this interview was that there was a shortage of labour in the maple industry so we wanted to see how this shortage had impacted production and farms/ However, when I asked my interviewee about the labour shortage, he said that it had no impact which essentially killed the story I was working on. It was too late to find another idea and a guest that is available the next day so instead, I asked him general questions about how this season was going and the challenges he faces. He was a good speaker but it was not the most intriguing interview. I’m leaning that a lot of journalism involves working with what you’ve got so that is what we did with this story. My producer ended up making the topic more general based on the information I was able to get from the interview.

For next week’s show, we’ll be interviewing the lead researcher of a study on using LSD as an anti anxiety pill and a member of the Ashoona family, an Inuit artist family that is very influential in Canada’s art scene. I have not been able to reach anyone from the Ashoona family yet but I am looking forward to it.

[intourmontreal]

March 18

At the beginning of the day, I had both of my pre interviews scheduled so I thought that I would be ahead and finish the scripts for both of next weeks interviews. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky since both of the interviews I did were not very fruitful. The first for the maple story had a hard time speaking in English. The second interviewee, for the hot cross buns, did not have much to say and provided very short answers to my questions.

However, I managed to get an interview with another hot cross bun source and she was a very good speaker so that problem was solved. Also, the francophone maple producer offered to put me in contact with someone who would be able to do the interview in English so I was grateful to him. Turns out that the person he referred me was a contact the host told me to speak to in case I didn’t manage to find someone!

The francophone maple producer told me he felt bad for not being able to speak in English which in turn made me feel bad since I could have easily spoken to him in French. However, because this is a recorded English show, we can only interview people in English which is one of the disadvantages of broadcast news, especially in Quebec.

[intourmontreal]

March 16

As predicted, today was a busy shift since I had to prepare this week’s show from the beginning as I did not have the opportunity to do anything on Friday. Still, it was not stressful and I got everything done before the deadline.

I was especially happy with the piece about food security because the interviewee, a dietitian, provided information that can have an important impact on people’s lives. Even though information is very easily accessible, the quality of it and the ability to disseminate information from a field that you do not know anything about is difficult so to have an expert give tips on eating sustainably on a budget is very useful. 

Next week’s stories are on hot cross buns and the struggles of the maple syrup industry.

[intourmontreal]

March 11

Today was a relatively slow day because I did not have any stories to work on and I only met with the producer at 230. I spent the time before that looking for pitches but I’ve learned not to become too attached to pitches because they do not always get approved. Also, the producer and the host come with their own so I only need to find one or two.

During the meeting, we discussed ideas for the next few weeks. One of the ideas that the host came up with that we will be doing in two weeks is about hot cross buns. It is the season for them now since easter is soon so we’ll be speaking to a hot cross bun expert. One of the things I like about this show is the randomness of the subjects!

I’ll be busy on Wednesday since I have 2 scripts to write and 2 pre interviews to do.

[intourmontreal]

March 9

This morning I was stressing about landing a story because one of our slots for tomorrow was empty. One of the stories I was trying to get an interview for, about donating to ukraine, was not coming together because sources were either not answering or refusing to give an interview. What is worse is that it wasn’t possible to book my interview for my back up story about the montreal food dispensary because they also did not have anyone available tomorrow. 

Therefore, I was looking for fresh pitches. I came across an article about electric vehicles in Montreal which is a relevant topic because of the increase in gas prices. Luckily, the producer was able to give me a contact that another show had interviewed so I did not have to look for one. In the end, I came up with the idea and finished the preinterview within an hour of the start of my shift. This was a great relief to me since I was not sure what I’d do if it didn’t work out.

The rest of my shift was relatively calm because all I had to do was write the script for this electric car interview. I then went over the two scripts with the producer and the host for an hour. On Friday, I plan to come up with several ideas and follow leads so that I am not left in the same position I was in today.

[intourmontreal]

March 4

Friday’s tend to be more quiet than Wednesdays since the producer is off packaging the show. During this time, I look for more ideas for next week’s show and start working on scripts which is what I did today.

Finding pitches has always been one of the more difficult parts of journalism for me and today was no exception. I had a hard time finding ideas online but knowing that we always manage to find something in the end helps lower my anxiety. Also, one of the advantages of working at the country’s national broadcaster is that pitches get sent to them all the time so we can use those in a pinch.

Near the end of my shift, I spoke with the producer and the host to run my pitches by them and to update them on where I am for next week’s show. They gave me the go ahead to start pre-interviewing for one of my ideas and to continue working on my script.

[intourmontreal]

March 2

My producer is off this week producing late-night news so I met a new producer. I was surprised when I heard this simply because I thought it would be easier to have the same producer on the show every week but it makes sense considering the pace of the news world. The new producer was very nice and helpful though. I haven’t had any bad experiences with any one I’ve spoken to thus far which is a good sign.

I spent the day doing two pre-interviews and writing up the script for one of tomorrow’s interviews. Afterwards, the producer and the host went over my script and edited it. It ended up being a rewrite more than an edit, which doesn’t bother me since it needs to fit the tone and needs of the show and they know how to do that best.

I’m not sure if it is the pace of the show that is not suitable for me but I am finding it monotonous. While there is variety in the subjects covered, it is the same routine: find an idea, speak to the person involved, write the script , rinse and repeat. The position being remote doesn’t help either since it contributes to the monotony. Still, i am happy I am doing this since it’ll help me gauge what I want from a journalism career.

[intourmontreal]

February 25

Today I joined one of cbc’s producers to watch her edit the show. There was a technological issue which prevented me from hearing the audio of the show so I watched the show with only the visuals. It was mostly put together by the time she showed it to me so it was not the most useful activity.

Apparently, my supervisor is not the one who produces the show every week so this week I was with one producer and it will be another person next week. This means that the new producer was not entirely sure what to do with me which left me with some free time. I do not blame her since they probably just thrust this onto her with little warning. 

During the rest of my shift, I looked for pitches for next week’s show. Now that we are back from hiatus, it will not be as easygoing as it has been the past few weeks. Still, this is a weekly show so it won’t be stressful.

[intourmontreal]

February 23

The show is coming back from hiatus this week which means we are back in business! I finally got to meet the host. Both she and my producer went over one of my scripts and finalized it so I got a better idea of her voice. My producer had edited it one way but she changed some of his edits which goes to show that parts of what make it to air depend on the tastes of the host.

I’m excited to see the show that will air on Saturday so that I can see one of my ideas come to life. There isn’t much in the way of viz since they only film the interviews but it is still gratifying to see my work online.

On Friday, I will be joining a producer to see her put the show together, I’m looking forward to it.

[intourmontreal]

February 18

Today, I spent most of the day editing a clip of an interview to practice my audio editing. I realized that I take way too long so this is a good way to refine my skills. 

The shows for the next two weeks are booked, except for one slot on March 3rd. We are trying to get in contact with a paralympian which is proving harder than I had anticipated because they are obviously busy in the weeks before the paralympics. It doesn’t help that the production schedules allows us to do interviews only on thursdays at 1145 or 1220.  

I also worked on the scripts for the booked shows, which are more difficult than anticipated since the interviews were not the most engaging. Still, there is interesting information to be found which is what I’ll focus on.

[intourmontreal]

February 16

During today’s shift, I focused mainly on writing scripts for the three interviews i completed. I listened to the pre-interviews to make sure I created questions that best reflected the more engaging things interviewees had to say. Still, when my producer looked over my scripts he kept some parts but ended up rewriting most of it which goes to show that I still have a lot to learn.

For example, he said for a show like this, where the filmed interview is relatively short (10-15 minutes), I have to make my questions more pointed. Also, in terms of sequence, I need to start with questions that touch on what is happening today, followed by the past and then by the future. It makes sense for this medium, but intuitively, I’m used to following a more linear past-present-future sequence.

Other than scripts, my producer took the time to share a few audio editing resources and tips which was appreciated.

[intourmontreal]

February 11

My shift started off with my morning meeting with my producer. I updated him as to where I was with all my stories. We have almost completely booked the next two shows which he was satisfied with because he said usually, the show is booking guest only a week in advance. 

We had to change the focus of one of my stories, the one about how people with disabilities are staying physically active, because we couldn’t find a good voice from someone who is disabled. He instead proposed that we can speak to a paralympian to see what their experience is like. I’m excited to do this interview since I’ve always admired the physical and mental strength it takes to be an athlete. He told me to get in contact with CBC’s publicist to see if she would be able to schedule something with a paralympian. The ability to reach more high profile members of society is a great advantage of working for a large network!

Otherwise, my shift was relatively calm. I did an interview with one of my sources about a pumping station in Montreal that holds a lot of cultural and historical significance which was more interesting that I had anticipated. What made the interview good was the people I spoke to. They were dynamic and passionate about preserving this station and turning it into an interpretation center which made me care about the topic. This made me realize the importance of speaking with a dynamic subject.

[intourmontreal]

February 9

Today’s shift started with my meeting with my producer as per usual. I updated him on my progress with the  stories I was working on (staying active with a disability, and the Craig tunnel exhibit). For the disability story, he tasked me with finding another disabled participant to speak to because the one I spoke to was not very dynamic.  Doing an interview-based program, where the majority of the show is the interview and not VO, makes it especially difficult to find people for the show since for a VO, you can cut and add the required info yourself. Still, I am happy to do it because I am learning what makes a dynamic speaker.

I had to let an interviewee know that we would not be having her on the show which was difficult because it is hard to reject someone who I asked to speak to in the first place. She was disappointed and asked why which I wasn’t sure how to answer since I couldn’t exactly tell her that she wasn’t a suitable speaker. I ended up telling her that we had interviewed multiple people and that I had booked her prematurely.  

My producer also asked me to find ideas for the show. I came across a hooking guild which he said was good so I have contacted them but have yet to hear back.

At the end of the day meeting, I updated him about where I was with my stories. Since he specializes in audio production and I had told him I was interested in it, he asked me if I would want to edit interview clips next shift for an audio doc he is producing as an exercise. I’m very happy that he thought to ask me since I want to improve my audio skills. So that’s what I’ll be doing on Friday.

[intourmontreal]

February 4

I started my shift with my meeting with my supervisor where we briefly discussed the three pre interviews I’d be doing later that day.

The interviews went well however I realized while doing one interview that she wouldn’t be the best candidate because she was treating the interview as a opportunity to represent the organisation she was a member of. This usually is unavoidable with most sources that are affiliated with some kind of organisation but in her case, it was too obvious and too often. For example, when I asked her if she felt supported in her efforts to stay fit, she would refer to her organization’s work.

After speaking with the producer about her, he said that we would have to drop her. This means I have to tell her that we no longer want her on the show which is an uncomfortable thing to do after I sought her out. However, the producer said that this is something that happens often so I will have to get used to it.

I spent the rest of my shift researching story ideas and coming up with questions for the on camera interview.