Posts in Tips & Advice
Breathe Deeply and Stop Apologising: Broadcast Training with WiJ Scotland
 

In February, 27 members of Women in Journalism Scotland took part in our second ‘Branch Into Broadcasting’ training day. Below one of the participants, WiJ Scotland committee member, Hannah Baird shares her experience and the tips she learned.

WiJ Scotland is committed to improving female representation as commentators and experts, as well as supporting members with their careers in media.

WiJ Scotland Branch into Broadcasting training at BBC and STV studios in Glasgow came about after a previous session had been a roaring success, with many of the women emerging as a ‘voice’. Some of these women, now prominent commentators, had previously always refused requests to go on air due to lack of confidence.

At the training, STV Chairman, Baroness Margaret Ford, addressed the group to share some useful advice:

“In a world of fake news, it has never been more important for public broadcasting to step up.

“Form opinion based on fact and in context as this allows balance and proportionality. In that regard, the voice of women is critical – we have different experiences to men.

“Diversity of thought and experience is so important in public policy and news.”

I work in communications. I need to be able to give feedback and advice on broadcast interviews and to really understand something, you need to experience it. So, over the course of the day, I took part in three interviews – radio, television and a panel discussion.

I watched my interviews back which was incredibly helpful. I recognised what I did wrong, and how to correct my mistakes, as well as what I did right. Watching my body language was interesting – I didn’t realise how seemingly insignificant things, such as looking up when I’m thinking, look so exaggerated. These insights are invaluable for presenting at work too.

Being surrounded by clever, charismatic women gives you a sense that you can achieve anything. Taking part in the training in a supportive group with a common goal felt empowering.

You have to fake it ‘til you make it – you don’t grow in your comfort zone. Volunteering to be interviewed in a studio by journalists I hear on the radio and see on television was a massive confidence boost. I’d even thought about not going, and other women told me they were thinking the same that morning.

Top Tips from the Training

  • First things first, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the show you will be on. Before an interview you can predict, or even ask, what will be covered. Ask who you will be interviewed by, ask who you will be on with and please ask about the fee.

  • Don’t be afraid to cast some hooks. To get interviewed, contact producers and bookers and use your contacts.

  • Watch and listen to shows you may be asked to appear on so you know the format.

  • You might want to get a system in place at work to avoid going to HR every time you are asked on a show as you may not always have time.

  • When preparing what you are going to say, consider who is listening and what you want to say to them.

  • When you are being interviewed, remember people want to relate to you. Humanise it.

  • Prepare and practise your key messages. Have a goal.

  • In addition to having in-depth knowledge on what you’re speaking about, be aware of current stories and breaking news in case the interviewer asks for your opinion.

  • You may want to prepare a sound bite for a pre-recorded interview. A sound bite should be short. It’s killed if it’s overloaded. Think of when you’re eating. One bite. It’s small. Sound bites can be akin to advertising slogans. For example, Boris Johnson’s ‘let’s get Brexit done’.

  • Remember, silence is better than ‘um’ and ‘em’. Don’t be afraid to say you have to think about it if you’re not live.

  • You want to have a strong eye line to camera. Don’t look up, down or away if you’re unsure. This can make the audience think you’re avoiding the question.

Breathe Deeply and Stop Apologising

At the latest broadcasting training, Professor Ros Steen led a voice workshop. Ros believes “the voice is deeply connected to who we are.”

It was remarkable to listen to our voices at the beginning and end of Ros’s workshop. We all did a short speech at the start. Almost all of us apologised at some point. Apologising for imperfection is totally unhelpful when we are trying to present ourselves confidently. We need to stop apologising.

Ros said: “Other people can’t give you confidence, it’s an inner thing. People can compliment you and encourage you, but you need to conquer confidence yourself.”

She went on to explain: “Real confidence comes from the inside and the ability to stand in yourself and transmit who you are and what you have to say from there. Some of your transmission will be conscious but some will be unconscious, and we need to become aware of those aspects by working on ourselves, our body and our voice.”

She also talked about how the voice works; the voice comes from the whole body, not simply the throat.

Voice is part of the muscular system of the body. How the voice is held and used automatically affects how it sounds. How we breathe is crucial. It is the support for our vocal tone – what our voice is carrying as opposed to what our voice is saying.

Clearly, there is so much more to a great media interview than words. As well as impacting our speech, body language speaks volumes. For example, when you’re slouched and sitting making yourself look small, your body language is effectively telling people you’re not important. Instead, sit up straight and uncross your legs.

With pointers and practise you can master media interviews.

Catriona MacPhee has a list of women in the WIJ network who are available for media interviews as commentators and experts that we give to producers. Please get in touch with her if you would like added to the list. WiJ Scotland members are also able to add themselves to the online WiJ Scotland Members Directory. Get in touch with Wij Scotland to find out how: wijscotland@gmail.com

 
Representation and Diversity in Scottish Media: Creating Opportunities in Journalism
 

In February, Tasnim Nazeer attended our ‘Branch Into Broadcasting’ training day held in the BBC and STV studios in Glasgow. Just five months later she made history as the first hijab-wearing woman to anchor a Scottish news report. Below she explains how it came to be and why she’s launched a petition calling for better representation in the UK media.

Tasnim Radio-2.jpg

I have been a freelance journalist for over 10 years working across print, radio and online, and have always wanted to transition into TV broadcasting. However, I knew from the onset that this is generally a competitive sector of journalism to get into and one that would require a lot of hard work and dedication.  In addition, my lived experiences of facing discrimination made things even more challenging. Hearing stories of other freelancers who had felt that they simply couldn’t progress due to issues such as identity and race was very disheartening.

I was starting to wonder whether I would ever be able to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ that I felt I had been under for so long, but continued to persevere. Over the years I had built up a portfolio of multi-platform journalism work and despite having opportunities to guest commentate on TV I was considering how best to transition into an actual reporting role.

I decided to attend the Women in Journalism ‘Branch into Broadcasting’ day which I think was a fantastic experience to learn, network, meet other fellow journalists and Heads of News. It was there that I made a point to introduce myself, which I think is important when wanting to pitch stories and connect. It was also invaluable to get experience in the studio at BBC Scotland and STV. I would highly recommend the WiJ Scotland event to others looking to branch into the sector as it gives a good feel as to what broadcasting entails.

Following the broadcast training day, I then used the time I had during the lockdown to seek out stories, contacts and access and to see whether there would be any potential in covering those stories and pitching to contacts who I had met on the day. Once the lockdown had been lifted and restrictions were eased  I approached STV News with one of my stories and the rest is ‘history’ (quite literally).

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July 2020 was the month I did my first TV report for STV News at Six. It was said to have been the first time a hijab-wearing TV reporter anchored a news report in the history of Scottish TV. It was a real personal achievement for me,  because I was uncertain whether it would ever happen prior to this opportunity. I still remember how happy my family were watching the report back as they know how much I have longed to see this day.

I was grateful that STV took me on purely for the story and the potential to do the job rather than see identity as a barrier and the fact that they are committed to supporting any freelancer the same way. In addition, talking about my experience saw my inbox inundated with messages from people all over the UK sharing their own challenges of trying to break through the ‘glass ceiling’.

I decided to start a campaign  to help others by calling for better representation in the media so that it more accurately reflects the national portrait of this country. I want everyone to feel that they can succeed and not be held back because of issues to do with  race, faith, gender, disability or any other factor. I know there are a lot of broadcasters who are investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives and have already taken action to facilitate better representation but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. I hope that this campaign will ensure that broadcasters reflect on its talent and further see  actionable change.

One thing I have learnt from this experience is that as journalists there may be times when we have to create opportunities for ourselves, take risks and persevere in order to progress. I wish all the members of WiJ Scotland success in progressing in their respective sectors of journalism and hope that together we can see better representation and diversity in the newsroom. 

Please do sign the petition  and share the hashtag #betterrepresentation to show your support - hopefully more journalists will achieve equal opportunities in the media.