The world of journalism is a pressurised one, with continuous deadlines, job insecurity and challenging interviewees. But what makes the difference between a competent and a great journalist? Good writing skills, the confidence to say what one want no matter how many feathers they ruffle, and, of course, fabulous interview skills. These are a given. Something often overlooked is having the determination to succeed, something which Susan Swarbrick, a 31-year-old senior features writer for the Herald and Times Group definitely has.
On what first inspired her to become a journalist, Susan Swarbrick said: “From the age of 12 or 13, I wanted to be a journalist, but I changed my mind to medicine. Then in my late teens, it went back to journalism. Then when it came to going to university, I completed a degree in communication and media.
“I did still want to do journalism so I did a lot of work experience. I got references from editors, then went on to do a post-grad journalism degree at the University of Strathclyde.
“I love the variety. The world is constantly evolving, and you need to think on your feet. You can go from writing a celebrity piece, to being at the scene of a crash. There are constant challenges which I love.”
Many journalists often want to get into the industry because they aspire to be like a current worker. Susan said: “I first wanted to be a sports journalist. I really liked Lynn Barber and Andrew Smith, who worked for the Scotland on Sunday. Many people I met through work experience and working as a journalist also inspired me. Making contacts through editors was good part of it.”
Travel is a major part in being a journalist. Breaking news stories happen all over the world, and obviously without notice. A journalist must be able to travel at a drop of a hat – often to some exotic locations. Susan, who lives in Glasgow – which is also know as the soul of Scotland – has had the chance to work all over the world.
“I spent a year in Canada working for the National Post. I’ve also be to North and South America, Australia, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, Ukraine, France, Bosnia and Spain. I happened to be in London for the 7/7 bombings, which I of course covered.”
The credit crunch has been affecting everyone, in all industries. Less money is available to accommodate larger staffs, travelling in order to do interviews, especially when the interviewee is demanding.
“It has severely impacted the industry. Everyone seems to be tightening their belts. Celebrity interviews are more often done over the phone as we cant afford to travel as often. Everyone needs to compromise. The quality of work can sometimes be limited – not as polished as you’d like, but we just have to work around it.”
Susan reminisced about one of her favourite, but most challenging interviews: “It would have to be David Hasselhoff. We interviewed him in Leeds of all places. He kept changing his mind about the way he wanted things to go. High pressure interviews like that can be quite unpredictable.
“I’ve also interviewed Gok Wan, but I was quite disappointed by him. He just didn’t have that sparkle you see on TV.”
In February, it was announced that the Herald and Times Group had suffered major declines in circulation over the past year, since January 2008. The Herald, a daily paper suffered a drop of 9.7%, and the Sunday Herald suffered a drop of 12.25% in circulation. So what does the future hold for journalism? Susan Swarbrick said: “Multimedia is on the rise. The internet is a big part of it. Blogging and pod casts also a major advantage in this technological era. Camera and video work will be more prominent, as will cross promoting news and feature stories to increase readership.
“You need to be articulate in the way you explain yourself, and most importantly, be proactive!”
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