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The People Behind the Press: An Inside Look at the Career of a Journalist
The People Behind the Press:
An Inside Look at the Career of a Journalist
 After completing journalism training, 27-year-old Amber Gooding is enjoying a rewarding career that puts her in the midst of the Canadian Forces. As the assistant editor and web developer of The Contact Newspaper at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton in Ontario, the largest air base in Canada, Amber has stepped into an unfamiliar, yet fulfilling atmosphere.
From College to the Canadian Forces
"I enjoy being in an environment that makes me appreciate people on a greater level. I am as 'civilian' as it gets, coming from no military background, but I have a new-found outlook and understanding for the Canadian Forces, and particularly the men and women that make up such a strong (family-based) community," Amber says.
Amber's career journey began in 2001 when she was accepted into the Print Journalism program at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ont. "Without post-secondary education, I would not have been able to successfully achieve my goals as they relate to journalism. A journalism career isn't possible without developing the field's standard skill-set," says Amber.
"I developed an understanding of proper interviewing, reporting, writing and photography techniques, which have allowed me to advance as a journalist to my current position," she continues. "In college, we were fortunate enough to obtain that hands-on experience that is so crucial to the overall development of any aspiring journalist. Because our newspaper is rather small, I still use each element of our courses every day."
After graduating from the two-year Print Journalism program in 2004, Amber went on to gain another invaluable skill-set by taking the one year post-diploma Online Publishing program, which prepared her to build, design, and maintain news-related websites.
Internship = Opportunity
As part of her training, Amber was first welcomed to CFB Trenton as an intern in the spring of 2005, an experience that proved invaluable and led to a full-time career. Just three days after the completion of her internship, she was given a contract as a web developer with the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency, and has since been given a permanent position with The Contact Newspaper.
As the assistant editor, Amber is responsible for managing a small staff, as well as contributing to the editorial department through writing, photography, page layout, and editing. She also continues to provide website maintenance, and has recently taken on additional duties in relation to financial aspects of the paper.
"Each and every day can be drastically different. My main responsibility is to ensure that the content in our newspaper is driven to boosting the morale and welfare amongst our serving members (both military and civilian personnel)," she says. "Because we are a small team, and a small weekly publication, I, and the majority of others on staff, are required to do a number of duties to ensure we meet our deadline every week. I cover events as needed, and liaise with 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Public Affairs Officers and 8 Wing Imaging Section to co-ordinate weekly events, presentations or feature (story) ideas."
Amber contributes much of her current success to her experiences at Loyalist College. "My time in college was exceptionally valuable, and more so than I ever thought at the time. College prepared me not only for my career, but also for life. And, in many ways, once I had grasped the concepts of my courses, some of the greatest lessons learned were about friendships, personal growth and an overall sense of self."
What it Takes
When asked what advice she would provide to someone who aims to join the journalism field, Amber says don't become discouraged, and don't lose sight of what it is that made you think you would like to become a journalist.
"Many students can become easily dissatisfied, and quite quickly, when they realize that it may not always be what they originally made it out to be. It's a tough field, and sometimes you really are only as good as your last story—but if you are true to yourself, and your work, you will always succeed," Amber says.
The Bottom Line
If you are considering journalism training, B.C. Work Futures says positions can be found relating to research, investigation, interpretation, and communication in environments like newspapers, television and radio stations, and magazines. Many journalists also work on a freelance basis. B.C. Work Futures also says typical work for a journalist can include collecting local, national, and international news through interviews, analyzing and verifying news and other copy for accuracy, and conducting interviews for radio and television programs.
B.C. Work Futures also found that journalists can often specialize in a certain field, like medicine, science, and technology, or even provide critical reviews of literary, musical, or other artistic works.
To read more about life as a journalist, check out the following article:
"This Journalist is No Military Brat."
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