WEBVTT - Confessions Of A TV Reporter 0:00:01.560 --> 0:00:05.519 Hello, and welcome to Outspoken. You're joined by journalists Sophie 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.560 and Amy Torbert for a special episode we've decided to 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:12.280 call Confessions of a TV Reporter. Now. For those who 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:15.400 are OG listeners, you'll know we started our careers in 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:18.759 the media before launching our public relations firm, the PR Bible, 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:20.919 and we do get asked a lot of questions about 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:23.200 what it is really like to be a TV reporter, 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:25.760 So we thought we'd address some of our favorite questions 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.400 we've got along the way. I mean, I always get 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:31.800 asked how you and I actually got into the industry, 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.479 and people might be surprised to know our parents are teachers, 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:37.680 so we didn't have any sort of uncle or AUNTI 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:41.240 your parent that was involved in the media, which really. 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:43.800 Doesn't help you out, does it. No, it doesn't. 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:46.120 So we all studied a journalism degree and did a 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:49.200 master's in journalism as well, and basically just hit up 0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:54.080 every news station, every newspaper to get work experience whilst 0:00:54.080 --> 0:00:56.640 we were at UNI, And for those who are at UNI, 0:00:56.720 --> 0:00:58.920 it really is worth it because that's the only way 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:01.240 you can, you know, gain those connections. 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:02.840 They're going to get your foot in the door. 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:06.119 Well, the big connection that helped me get my foot 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:07.760 in the door was the fact that I happened to 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:11.640 play tennis alongside one of the Channel ten reporters, and 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.360 that was because we actually, Kate, soph and I. We 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:17.320 actually got invited to do some work at ten after 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.440 a news industry night, so we started writing the weather 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:23.480 and my favorite thing to do was there was a 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:26.160 button where you could change the weather to snow. That 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.360 was never ever used because it doesn't snow in Adelage, 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:30.880 but that was the best. But yeah, I joined the 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.639 ten tennis team and one of the lovely reporters tipped 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:37.360 me off that there was a job going at Today 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:39.160 tonight and I should put my hand up for it 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:43.000 as a sort of producer slash researcher role. Yeah, and 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.839 you were saying before we were invited in for work experience, 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.320 and that was because our group actually won the news night. 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:51.480 So it does pay off to really put in the 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.280 hard yards at UNI because we put together each a 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.440 different news story, a TV news story, and that's when 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:00.680 all of the industry leaders were basically the judging who 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:01.760 they liked the best. 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:03.560 So luckily we went. It was like. 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:06.800 Australian idol that judging Panawa. They did not hold back, 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:08.919 did they. I remember one guy I got told he 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:11.480 was Wooden and then his last name was wood I 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:13.280 mean he is now working in the industry and doing 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:13.800 very well. 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.600 So it doesn't always tore people to shreds. 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:18.720 It was, oh, your voice isn't good, you don't look 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.520 good on camera. So that is something in journalism you 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.800 do have to have a very very thick skin. One 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.399 of our big breaks, I suppose you call it, while 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:30.000 we're at UNI was doing sa NFL, which is a 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:33.120 South Australian football league for those who don't know. So 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:35.080 we did sports reporting for them, and I think they 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:36.680 thought it was a little bit of a gimmick, the 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:39.200 fact that it was three girls and the fact that 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:40.120 we were triplets. 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:41.919 And I remember, you know, we. 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:44.079 Were so excited when they said that we could do 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.600 the match reporting and then they made us pose in 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:49.600 this photo of us or looking out at the game, 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:53.840 and it was so embarrassing. But I remember you and 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:57.240 Kate being quite shocked when you guys reported on your 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.320 first game. You've got to tell everybody what happened when 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.000 you went into the chains. The chain drooms can be 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.040 a very daunting place to go into, especially for a female. 0:03:05.520 --> 0:03:07.640 Kate and I walked in to interview the coach and 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:10.320 literally all the players were just in the nude and 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.079 you just felt like the biggest perv and it was 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:16.160 really uncomfortable. I mean we were probably twenty one twenty two, 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.600 and you get the vibe that everyone thinks that you 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.880 want to be in there, and like, really, I since 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:23.959 the age of seventeen, I wanted to be a sports 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.400 journalist and have changed my mind obviously along the way, 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:28.720 but I really loved football and I really wanted to 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:32.519 be taken seriously. So it was quite a confronting situation 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:35.600 when people think that you are there just to talk 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.040 to the players or gork at the players. We're talking 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:42.200 about confronting situations. I remember my sort of first real 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:46.200 journalism job, and that was at a current Affairs style 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:50.960 program and I remember walking in and I got sent 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:54.080 straight into a meeting and it was just everything you 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:56.680 think it's going to be. It was hilarious. I had 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:58.800 so much fun in this meeting. They were talking about 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:02.080 cookie diet and all this kind of stuff like neighbors 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:04.200 from Hell, and I was just licking my lips. I 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:07.200 was like, Wow, this is so interesting. And I remember 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:10.400 I got sent out with one of the reporters and 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:12.600 I had to put a hidden camera in my bag 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.480 because we were doing a sting on this. I'm sure 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.640 people remember at Studio two thousand, remember they used to 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.200 hand out you know, flyers and you could apparently get 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:25.240 a free shoot, but the photos turned out being really expensive. 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:27.920 So remember the first few weeks I got sent out 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:31.800 undercover to do a shoot with Studio two thousand, and 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:34.839 they did your hair and makeup. It was humiliating, like 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:37.919 they made us look like dead set idiots. Isn't that 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:40.720 just what you would picture in a current affair style 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:43.880 program to be like? It lived up to every expectation 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:46.640 hearing about your first day did. I genuinely had so 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:49.640 much fun there. Though it was a good environment to 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.960 learn a lot. My entrance into my big break was 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:54.480 a bit longer than yours. 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:56.560 I did a lot of shit kicker jobs. 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:58.440 I think that people think the second you step in 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:00.120 the door at a TV station, you're going to be 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:02.839 on TV. I did the really long route. I did 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:06.599 AUTOQ for many years. I listened to scanners early on 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:10.919 Saturday mornings. I basically did everything just to get my 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:13.599 job and finally get noticed. And a lot of it 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:15.800 did come from if anyone is out there trying to 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:18.480 get their break, is you've really got to start coming 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:21.360 up with your own story ideas and just really pitching 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.680 and talking to the boss. I used to be so 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:26.599 scared about Boss Terry, who we actually work with now 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:29.360 and who I absolutely adore, But it's just breaking down 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.200 those barriers and making those connections. 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:32.600 Oh, definitely. 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:36.880 Another question that we get asked a lot is about 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:42.279 the industry's focus on appearance and whether there are any guidelines, 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:45.800 And there are heaps of guidelines out there, so there 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:50.520 are so many. There's a style guide, so a number 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:53.920 of networks I've been out, they've had specifically outlined what 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:58.360 colors you're allowed to wear, what jewelry you know is 0:05:58.400 --> 0:05:59.640 actually pretty much no jury. 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:02.520 You're allowed to wear hairstyles. I remember. 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:06.320 I remember at one TV station I worked out, there 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:09.080 was an ongoing joke that the boss only liked women 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:11.839 with blonde bobs because literally all the women on staff 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:13.919 had blonde bobs. And luckily for me, my hair was 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:15.800 a blonde bob at the time, so it was quite good. 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:18.360 Well, when I was on my Cadet Chip. 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.520 We actually had a whole class that was a makeup 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:24.359 class that was actually really cool. So one of the 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:27.240 makeup artists who does all the news presenters makeup came 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:29.840 and spoke to us and she even showed the men 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:31.920 how to put makeup on, which was pretty funny. Like 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.680 they've got this eyebrow gel that they have to smooth 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:37.799 their eyebrows with, and a lot of the hard core 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:40.520 male journals will actually wear foundation and a bit of 0:06:40.520 --> 0:06:44.279 powder over the top, which is I must admit, it 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:46.440 was pretty hilarious to watch them put it on because. 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:48.440 They love it. I think they really get into it. 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:50.960 And as a man, you're also if you're out on 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:53.480 the road and you've got a beautiful pair of pants 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:55.200 with pockets, you're not allowed to put a phone in 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.440 those pockets because you cannot crease those pants. Despite them 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:02.640 never really being on camera. Well, I absolutely love makeup, 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.000 so for me, I found it really fun every day 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:08.280 to do my makeup really nicely. But you know it 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:10.840 is for those who love the more casual look. It 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:13.280 can be quite daunting. If anyone listening is preparing to 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.520 be interviewed on TV or is actually wanting to be 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.080 a journalist, you do have to wear really over the 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:22.440 top makeup because the camera just really washes you out. Yeah, 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.640 it doesn't pick it up. The other thing that comes 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:27.320 along with, I suppose this image obsessed industry is the 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:32.360 continual criticism about your appearance, though, because especially when you're 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.280 starting out, you don't really know what colors work for you. 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:39.120 And I remember being told by one of this style 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:41.800 people that they couldn't see my eyebrows, so I had 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:44.080 to draw them in. I had a camera man tell 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:47.040 me I looked green on camera. That's always great when 0:07:47.040 --> 0:07:49.040 you're trying hard and you get told you look green. 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:51.760 I remember one particular piece to camera and my hair 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:53.760 was blowing in the wind and the cameraman was just 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:57.200 getting really irritated at me because my hair wasn't heavy 0:07:57.320 --> 0:07:59.720 enough to sit down and it wasn't thick enough. My 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:02.760 hair has always been one of my insecurities. So the 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.080 next day I went out and got some clip in 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:09.000 hair extensions, and it looks so much better on camera. 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.480 But for anyone who's worn them, if you've got a 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.400 twelve hour day starting at six am, it is so 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:17.920 uncomfortable and is so time consuming. I remember doing what 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:19.720 they call a piece to camera. That's a bit that 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.240 the reporter obviously says in front of the camera. 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:23.440 I remember doing one. 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:26.880 In the studio at a particular news station, and at 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:31.760 this station, everything that happens in studio feeds into the 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.480 televisions of the other people working there, so they had 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:39.480 a TV in the makeup and hair part of the office, 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.960 and I remember being buzzed. It was like, could you 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:44.760 please come to hair and makeup immediately? And they were 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:47.480 just like, your hair looks basically shit, like we need 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:49.440 to fix it. And I remember they did it, and 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:52.960 I thought I looked so stupid, it was so buffy, 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:55.199 and I was actually so embarrassed about it. 0:08:55.880 --> 0:08:58.880 You did get the tag of being a bit scruffy sometimes, 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:00.400 Oh I know. 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:03.160 I got told that I looked like I just sort 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:06.080 of woke up and threw my clothes, which I'm sorry 0:09:06.360 --> 0:09:08.200 when on my alarm, when if at four thirty I 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:10.040 did just get up and throw my clothes on Well, 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.600 it was really unfair because Amy was a full time 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:15.480 employee and I was a freelancer. And she got this 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.840 whole wardrobe bought for her all new jackets, dresses, and 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:22.320 she even had a little cupboard at work that was 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:24.320 built in where you could just go to your cupboard 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:25.959 if you want to change your clothes, and I literally 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.240 had to fork out for all of my own stuff. 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:30.520 Do you remember that time that we wrapped up to 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:31.760 work in the same outfit? 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:35.320 Oh, that was so embarrassing. This is when we lived together. 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:38.440 So I happened to leave earlier than Sophie that morning, 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:41.240 and then I arrived and she and I were both 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.680 wearing white tops and blue blazers and we were like. 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:44.439 Oh my god. 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:46.280 The worst thing is it wouldn't have mattered on a 0:09:46.320 --> 0:09:48.960 normal day because we would have been out at different things. 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:51.400 But the only time ever we've been sent out on 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:55.439 a story together, and it was a stakeout of Billie Brownless. 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:57.560 Oh, I still feel a little. 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:00.880 Bit bad about that now that this happened. When drimble 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.840 that controversy Billy Brown, this is of course one of 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:07.080 the male hosts that were on the Footy Show, and 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:09.680 there was that big scandal about his wife hooking up 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:13.520 with Gary Lyon, and so he kind of was in 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:15.800 Adelaide and he was showing his face for the first time. 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:19.160 So it was quite an important story. People wanted to 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:22.040 get him on camera. So I got sent to sit 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.240 in the crowd and I suppose to get sneaky phone 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.600 shots of him. He was appearing at a local football club, 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.640 and then soph was sent out the front to bounce him. 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:32.640 And when they say bounce, that means you know, when 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:34.880 the reporters run up with the camera and they're like, Billy, 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.040 how's it going. Have you had from your wife? How's 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:38.360 your friendship with Gary Lyon going? 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:39.040 That kind of thing? 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:43.120 So I looked like a massive dick. I went up 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:45.040 and I took a photo with Billy so I could 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:47.720 get close to film, in which I felt so bad about, 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.880 and then he's bounced by my identical systory outside. It 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:54.640 was so funny because I literally sat outside all day 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:58.880 with the cameraman and soundo and Amy was inside, she said, and. 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:00.959 A few people spotted up outside with the. 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:04.280 Camera and they're like, what parasides sitting out there waiting, 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.760 and Amy was just like, yeah, terrible, isn't it. 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:07.840 It's so terrible. 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:10.280 I did get Billy to say something, though, I killed 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:12.400 him with kindness instead of being very aggressive. 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:14.040 What did you say to him? 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:15.800 I think I just said, how are you enjoying the 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.120 day and he's like, yes, it's good, thank you, and 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.600 they used that grap. Well, we did get praised heavily, 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:22.760 didn't we because we Actually that's the thing. You do, 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:24.800 these things that you feel bad about, but you get 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:28.559 kind of praise and you're like, oh, okay, I did good. 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:31.440 And steakhouts are something that is a regular occurrence on 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:31.800 the job. 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:35.040 It is. It can be very boring. 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:39.959 It depends because I remember I got sent out. It 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:43.600 was to some kind of home invasion or something like that. 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:46.120 A poor woman got hit over the head with a crowbar, 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:50.360 and I remember rocking up at about six thirty in 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:54.040 the morning and we were waiting. I think we're waiting 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:55.840 to see if she returned home. I mean, that's the 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:57.679 first thing you want to see when you've returned home 0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:00.240 from a horrific injury, is it? News reporters on your 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:04.119 front doorstep? But I remember it was all the networks 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.880 had waited and we'd got interviews with neighbors and stuff, 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:09.679 and we had a jolly old time. We was sitting 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:12.880 out in the sun on the gate, sorry, on the 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.720 fence out there, and a lady brought us water and cookies, 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:18.400 which is a very rare occurrence. People normally tell you 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:21.200 to piss off and get a real job. Well, there 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:23.400 are a lot of mind games that happen on steakhouts 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.400 because you're obviously there with the other networks. And there 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:29.600 are occasions where I had to pretend that I was leaving, 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:32.280 so we drive around the block, wait for about ten minutes, 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:34.400 then drive back hoping that the other crew had left. 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:35.440 Well, because that's a thing. 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:38.640 So for those who don't know, most of the time 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.160 the steakhouts go for such a long time because none 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:44.199 of the networks want to fold because the big fear 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:48.040 is that if you miss someone and someone else gets it, 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:49.640 you're going to get in trouble because that's going to 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:52.680 be what they call an exclusive. So most of the 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:56.040 time it just gets pushed out because everyone refuses to leave. 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:59.480 We've both been on jobs where a competitor has left 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:03.160 a car. Yeah, so sometimes say there'll be you know, 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:06.800 the person you want to speak to isn't home. Sometimes 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.320 a reporter will leave their business card in the door, 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:11.880 and the question is always do you leave. 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:13.640 It there and be a good person or do. 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.640 You throw it away now? So, if you have you 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:19.520 thrown any business cards away before no. 0:13:19.400 --> 0:13:21.959 I actually haven't, but I hear that you have. Well 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:22.600 I didn't know. 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:24.680 I didn't know what's such a bad thing because I'd 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:26.520 had it drilled into my head. You know, you've got 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.160 to get the exclusive. You got to you gotta win 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:31.800 and do this. And I remember once I've never I 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:34.640 never normally did it, but I've been to some specific 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:37.920 training and I saw the card there and this particular 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.160 reporter had been a bit of a dick, so I thought, 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:42.160 I'll take that card with me. Well, it is a 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:44.360 bit lazy, I mean maybe because I never had my 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:47.520 own card until I worked at Today tonight. But yeah, 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:49.160 I didn't have a card, so I didn't end up 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.520 playing those games. Well, there is someone who did a 0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:53.840 little bit worse than that. There was a reporter who 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.040 climbed through a nursing home window just to try and 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.679 get that exclusive. I think that might be going a 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:02.800 little bit too far, but I supposed talking about going 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:06.680 too far. I know we've both faced backlash while out 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:09.400 in the public about particular stories we've done. And I 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.120 think one of my favorite stories has to be about 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:14.760 when I was working at a particular current affairs show 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:18.840 and we had done a story about solariums. And obviously 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:22.880 now there aren't any solariums around in South Australia. But 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.040 before you used to be able to go in, and 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:27.520 there was meant to be some kind of system in place. 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:31.240 So when you walked in, they gave you a sort 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:33.400 of sheet to fill out. And if you had really 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:36.240 pale skin, I think it was class A skin or 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:39.040 whatever it's called, you weren't meant to be able to 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.320 get a solarium tan. So if you were like a 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:45.480 bit pale, or you had fair hair anyway, they decided 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.880 to send myself and another friend in. So and that 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:50.960 was because you guys had very fair skin. 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:52.800 I was told I had fair skin. I was quiet, 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:53.960 I was quite. 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:58.800 You do have fair skin anyway. So yeah, we were 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:02.240 told to purposely make our scores low. So then they'd 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:04.440 question us about it and be like, oh, you know, 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:06.840 like whether they'd encourage us to bump it up or whatever. 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:09.880 And there were some places that did say, oh no, no, 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:11.840 just give that a two and whatever and you can 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:15.080 come in. So I remember sitting at dinner. You were there, 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.640 soph and it was Kay and our bestie Owen, and 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:20.160 we were just at this beautiful pizza place, and all 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.080 of a sudden, this man walks up to me and 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:25.960 he goes, you're that girl on that show, aren't you? 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:29.800 And I said what and he's like, you know that show? 0:15:29.840 --> 0:15:32.680 And I said, oh yeah, and he's like, how dare 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:34.880 you come into my scelarium and put such a story on, 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:39.240 and like just went off at me. I was so embarrassed, 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.080 and then I had to try and diffuse the situation. 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:43.680 It's all very, very awkward. You also do face a 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:48.120 little criticism from your senior colleagues. I had worked this really, 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:50.320 really long day and I remember being quite happy with 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.080 my story and relief that it went to air on time, 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:56.080 and then I copped a phone call from my boss saying, oh, 0:15:56.120 --> 0:16:00.880 you pronounced kilometer wrong. It's killer meter not and that 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:02.480 was I was just at the end of my tether 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.600 in that situation. But it's you'll always get I remember, 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.720 you got a super wrong, and you just get absolutely 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:10.840 scolded for the small if the good thing is I mean, 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:12.880 it is bad to get those small things wrong if 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:14.440 there is a way that you meant to say it, 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:18.400 and it does make you never forget those small things 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:21.080 like how to say kilometer and all of that. It 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:23.000 is funny though, there's a lot of things that are 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.600 pronounced a certain way on the news, like in South 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:29.360 Australia they all say Peter phile if they're the news, 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:32.680 the news reporter. Well, I can't stand people saying schedule 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:35.280 Now it is one hundred percent schedule if you're speaking 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:38.120 the English language, and I get so mad at Brandon 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.880 for saying schedule. That's your boyfriend, of course. Yes, Other 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:45.600 than getting in trouble for saying things, there's also issues 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:47.280 on the road that could get you in trouble. A 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:50.160 lot of dangerous situations that you actually find yourself in. 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:52.400 I mean one of those situations is when you have 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:55.720 to knock on people's doors. So if you're working as 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:58.280 the early journal you start at five point thirty and 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:01.360 you basically see what's happened overnight. There might be a 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:04.400 fire or a crime or whatever, and you get sent 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:06.280 out to that. So you've got to start door knocking 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.240 people about the event that's gone on. And I don't 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.560 know about you, but I wouldn't want people knocking on 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:14.200 my door that early. And you can, and you can 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:17.280 find yourself in quite dangerous situations. So if you had 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:21.120 one in Elizabeth, which is an area in South Australia's North, 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:24.280 which isn't the most amazing place to live. Yeah, I 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:27.760 was sent to this molotov cocktail attack and I was 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:30.240 getting ready to do a piece to camera and we 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:32.119 got to tip off from one of the neighbors that 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:34.600 the owner whose house was attacked he was in a 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:37.520 pretty foul mood about the whole thing and didn't like 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:40.439 the fact that media were there. And it actually interrupted 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:44.280 one of the other journalists who was their piece to camera, 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:46.600 so he said, Oh, he's running around with a bat 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:49.280 and pretty angry, so you might want to do it quickly. 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.080 And I had a full light set up and I 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:55.320 felt so stressed because it literally was the quickest piece 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.280 of camera I've ever done, because once I got through 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:00.760 the third take, we actually we saw him out of 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:02.520 the corner of our eye running towards us, so we 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:03.880 had to like leap back in the car. 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:04.399 God. 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:07.480 I remember getting sent to a story and it was 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:10.919 somewhere up north and it was just it was something 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:13.479 to do with some prisoner that had escaped and they 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:15.399 thought he was at his family's homes. We had to 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.720 go knock on the door and I remember the woman 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.080 whose house it was, Her daughter answered the door, and 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:24.399 this massive like great dane came to the door with 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:27.520 her and started barking at everyone, and she say, sorry, 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:30.159