One of the many benefits of attending a large university (McGill) in a major metropolis (Montreal) is that there are a variety of opportunities to get involved and to take advantage of. This past weekend, I was lucky enough to glimpse the inner workings of CBC Montreal, by none other than the seasoned anchor Debra Arbec, who currently hosts CBC News: Montreal at 5:00pm, 5:30pm and 6:00pm from Monday to Friday.
As someone who has always had a passion for television and broadcasting, this experience was truly invaluable. Yes, I have been on the NBC studios tour in New York City (which was a blast and a half), and I have also been to CBC studios in Toronto several times to dance for the Easter Seals Telethon. However, the opportunity to spend over an hour with an actual anchor answering all of my (many) inquiries made me learn a whole lot about a career in news broadcasting and journalism. Not only was Mrs. Arbec extremely friendly and relatable by providing us with tons of insight and personal stories, but she also made a great effort to introduce us students to any member of the CBC Montreal team we encountered throughout the tour, which included her co-anchor Andrew Chang, reporters, producers, interns, writers and directors. Every single employee that we met was more than willing to answer our questions and offer advice. Additionally, I was able to learn the distinctions in job responsibilities across all of these different positions, and how they are increasingly becoming blurred as CBC employees are expected to be more and more cross-functional. Below is a slideshow of some of the pictures both taken by me, and by the McGill Women in Leadership club, who graciously organized the tour:
As someone who has always had a passion for television and broadcasting, this experience was truly invaluable. Yes, I have been on the NBC studios tour in New York City (which was a blast and a half), and I have also been to CBC studios in Toronto several times to dance for the Easter Seals Telethon. However, the opportunity to spend over an hour with an actual anchor answering all of my (many) inquiries made me learn a whole lot about a career in news broadcasting and journalism. Not only was Mrs. Arbec extremely friendly and relatable by providing us with tons of insight and personal stories, but she also made a great effort to introduce us students to any member of the CBC Montreal team we encountered throughout the tour, which included her co-anchor Andrew Chang, reporters, producers, interns, writers and directors. Every single employee that we met was more than willing to answer our questions and offer advice. Additionally, I was able to learn the distinctions in job responsibilities across all of these different positions, and how they are increasingly becoming blurred as CBC employees are expected to be more and more cross-functional. Below is a slideshow of some of the pictures both taken by me, and by the McGill Women in Leadership club, who graciously organized the tour:
I once again want to thank the McGill Woman in Leadership club for organizing this event. In fact, the tour was originally supposed to be limited to fifteen students, and I was shocked that there were only a total of eight of us in attendance. I want to encourage any students reading this to stop immediately deleting all of your University emails, or walking by every bulletin board poster without so much as a glance. I know that we all get very busy, and that it can be hard to filter through all of the information being thrown at us constantly (considering a lot of it may have no relevance to your life), BUT you may just be missing out on some wonderful, unique opportunities!
So for anyone interested in a career in broadcast journalism, or who may just be interested in learning about the industry, I can share some of the insider anecdotes and tour highlights from Mrs. Arbec and her crew at CBC:
So for anyone interested in a career in broadcast journalism, or who may just be interested in learning about the industry, I can share some of the insider anecdotes and tour highlights from Mrs. Arbec and her crew at CBC:
- When asked about broadcasting in journalism, all of the reporters/anchors expressed that the most important skill is the ability to write effectively. Being able to successfully tell a story through writing is the essential foundation for all journalism, and the broadcasting skills can always develop afterward through experience.
- Fun fact: Mrs. Arbec noted that the television show The Newsroom is surprisingly accurate in its depiction of a news production office. (Another fun fact: The Newsroom just moved to the #1 spot on my must-see television list)
- On journalism degrees and education: No, it is not essential to have an undergraduate degree in journalism in order to work in news broadcasting. In fact, coming from a diverse educational background may provide you with a competitive advantage in the field. However, Mrs. Arbec still strongly recommended looking into short-term masters/diploma programs for those who think they might be interested, in order to gain some hands-on experience and training, and to see if the industry is right for them.
- On balancing work and life: With the unpredictability of breaking news and current events, working for CBC Montreal or a similar network can be stress-inducing. Sometimes, working in journalism also requires a complete restructuring of your sleeping patters (morning shows, late-night shows, radio, etc.). Mrs. Arbec says that having a husband in the television industry (Sports) has definitely helped, and she also balances the stressful environment with daily running. Additionally, she is grateful that she works fairly regular hours, from around 10:30am to 7:30pm on most days.
- Furthermore, Mrs. Arbec also noted that maintaining a work-life balance is significantly easier when working in local news television, when compared to national/international networks.
- Importance of technology: CBC Montreal is becoming increasingly digital, and we actually got the opportunity to see the software they use to edit and organize the content for their show (and on that note: every single second of air time is planned and updated throughout the day). With the move toward these systems, there is an increasing trend for anchors/reporters being more directly involved in the editing process.
- Importance of social media: Obviously, the Internet has completely revolutionized the news broadcasting industry. When asked what she does during commercial breaks, Mrs. Arbec admitted to checking her twitter, which can be found here. Awareness and use of social media is becoming increasingly relevant, and should definitely not be ignored by any students planning on entering the industry soon. Additionally, Twitter and smartphone applications are amazing tools for staying up-to-date with breaking news, and I would strongly recommend following some local, national and international networks on these platforms.
- On breaking into the industry: Mrs. Arbec emphasized that you should seek out every opportunity you can to get involved. Many people that work in journalism (including both hosts of CBC News: Montreal) did not always aspire to be news anchors. It's never too late to try your hand aT journalism, and the more experience, the better! Places to find journalism opportunities: local community newspapers/radio stations, on-campus or high school newspapers, online blogs (some source multiple writers for different topics), etc.
- One of the most notable aspects of my experience touring CBC Montreal is that every employee that we met seemed to truly enjoy what they did for a living. As a university student, I know that many of us are trying to find a career that is financially stable, while still being personally gratifying and satisfying. There are always sacrifices (crazy hours, hard work, high-stress environments), but it made me very hopeful that all of the employees we encountered had taken different paths that ultimately led to challenging, fulfilling and enjoyable work lives. They sure made local news broadcasting seem very appealing!
Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to CBC Montreal, and especially to our wonderful host Debra Arbec. On behalf of the entire McGill student group, we thoroughly appreciated your generosity and kindness in providing us with this unique touring experience.
BONUS: Had to leave you with a little bit of girly talk...
I felt compelled to share this snap of my eye makeup that I took right before leaving for the tour because it represents a much more standard eyeshadow application than my most recent colourful look that can be found here.
When it comes to eyeshadow, my favourite shades are what I think of as "adaptable solo artists": shadows that can be used on the lid and/or in the crease completely on their own and somehow still add dimension to your eye and make you seem a lot more put together than you are. (Yet these shadows also make perfect accompaniments to other shades for more creative looks).
Since I had about ten minutes total to do my makeup before the CBC Montreal tour, I grabbed my trusty MAC Eyeshadow in Patina, which is the perfect cool-toned bronze shade that works on almost all eye colours and skin tones. Throw in some black eyeliner on the top lash line, brown on the bottom, and some Maybelline mascara (duh), and I was good-to-go for the entire day.
Note: While at CBC, we saw one of the anchors applying her own makeup at her desk. So YES, being able to do your complete face of makeup in minimal time is a worthy skill to learn!
I felt compelled to share this snap of my eye makeup that I took right before leaving for the tour because it represents a much more standard eyeshadow application than my most recent colourful look that can be found here.
When it comes to eyeshadow, my favourite shades are what I think of as "adaptable solo artists": shadows that can be used on the lid and/or in the crease completely on their own and somehow still add dimension to your eye and make you seem a lot more put together than you are. (Yet these shadows also make perfect accompaniments to other shades for more creative looks).
Since I had about ten minutes total to do my makeup before the CBC Montreal tour, I grabbed my trusty MAC Eyeshadow in Patina, which is the perfect cool-toned bronze shade that works on almost all eye colours and skin tones. Throw in some black eyeliner on the top lash line, brown on the bottom, and some Maybelline mascara (duh), and I was good-to-go for the entire day.
Note: While at CBC, we saw one of the anchors applying her own makeup at her desk. So YES, being able to do your complete face of makeup in minimal time is a worthy skill to learn!
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