I don't have many career tips, but here's one: if you have a flight on a Friday to Dawson Creek to see a friend, but on Thursday the town is flooding, change your flight, tell your bosses you'll be on the ground reporting and not web writing that evening, and see what happens
https://twitter.com/j_mcelroy/status/743600753281904640
That's what I did five years ago today when Dawson Creek was flooding — had a long planned trip to visit @jonnywakefield (then the top reporter in northeast B.C.) but news happened, and I figured "why not try reporting from the field for the first time?"
https://twitter.com/j_mcelroy/status/743612839672197120
I did not *particularly* know what I was doing, but I filmed/field produced stories for our TV broadcasts, appeared with @drex on CKNW, wrote some stories, and sort of solidified that I would like to do more of this
https://twitter.com/j_mcelroy/status/744615320652963840
(also, another friend was on this vacation that became a working trip, and at one point the premier came to do a media tour mostly for me and @jonnywakefield, but our friend followed along, leading to an awkward exchange with security at one point)
https://twitter.com/j_mcelroy/status/744652878095122432
Anyhow there's my self-indulgent 5 year anniversary story.
When I returned, bosses essentially said "that was helpful, but don't do that again".
A couple weeks later CBC said they were hiring, and here we are.
Sometimes it's fun to change your flight and see what happens.
When I returned, bosses essentially said "that was helpful, but don't do that again".
A couple weeks later CBC said they were hiring, and here we are.
Sometimes it's fun to change your flight and see what happens.
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