Moving into a new city can be both challenging and very rewarding. That’s the first thing Beatriz Baleeiro told me when I asked her how it feels to be a news reporter in London. The multimedia journalist, who was born in Brazil and moved to Canada in 2018, just completed her first month in the city of London after moving from Niagara Falls.
Beatriz: So far, London has been incredibly kind to me. It’s a big city with lots of stories to tell and people to meet. I think the city’s growing a lot. There is a lot of funding coming from the government, and London is becoming a big player when it comes to cities that have an impact to the rest of the province.’’
Bernardo: Have you had a chance to explore the city? What are some initial impressions and challenges
you have been facing in reporting so far.
Beatriz: I’ve explored a couple cafes; I’ve been to Black Walnut a couple times. I also walk around in my neighbourhood a lot. I think knowing where you live first, knowing your neighbourhood, is where you start; and then expand from that.
When you’re learning about a new city and community and what the issues are and where to look for stories, I think this is one of the first challenges when you start a job. Any job, when it comes to being a reporter in a city where you never lived or haven’t spent enough time to understand how everything works and where things are. I haven’t had as much time as I would like to go explore that side of London, where we just dig stories and pay attention to certain communities and what’s happening in the city.
Bernardo: Are there any newsbeats you like to cover? Do you have to cover a wide variety of news beats?
Beatriz: I do a little bit of everything. When you’re a general assignment reporter, you don’t really pick
what you do; it’s what’s breaking.
I love writing about social issues, in general. I think that as an immigrant it’s hard for me to look away from what people struggle with on a daily basis. Things such as health, safety, gender, equity. That’s the kind of newsbeat that feels really rewarding to me. You get to meet people, you go to their homes, you sit down with them and you just have to make sure they’re comfortable enough sharing their struggles and some of their experiences.
I like many beats but right now anything social, justice focusing on gender equity and women is probably one of my favorite type of stories to write on. But I am still learning what I like, what I dislike, what I am good at, what I am not.
Bernardo: What are some skills you consider essential in your career as a journalist?
Beatriz: One of the best skills reporters can have is writing fast and accurately.
Bernardo: What is one thing you wish you knew when you were just starting your career as a journalist?
Beatriz: Volunteering.
Doesn’t even matter if it’s out of the Journalism field. I think just learning how to talk to people in different contexts is a great skill to have. If you know how to talk to someone, that’s how you get a good story. That’s also not something that you can just plan, to have a successful conversation. So, learning how to talk to people is always a great skill to have.
Bernardo: Any messages for those aspirant journalists out there that are kickstarting their careers?
Beatriz: I don’t want journalism students to feel discouraged to start in the industry right now. Even before the pandemics, I used to hear from people already in the industry ‘’why do you want to be a journalism? Just go into to public relations, it pays better, it’s more stable’’. If you believe in Journalism, just make sure you’re stubborn and don’t let those comments impact your future and the choices that you make.
Beatriz worked at ‘The Hamilton Spectator’, ‘Complex Canada’ and ‘Niagara This Week’, before starting at London Press as a full-time general news reporter, in London. In her free time, Beatriz likes to read, go for walks while listening to music and/or podcasts, and play the guitar.
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