It starts again. The nerves, self-doubt and excitement rushing through my mind as I jump in the car to start day 1 of 7 at the Channel 10 Newsroom.

As I entered the station I felt a little more confident this time shaking hands with the COS, big boss and the familiar journalists.

Firsts things first though, grab a newspaper, sit down and pretend to read until someone decides to send you on the road.

My ears pricked up as I heard COS, Nick, speaking to a journo Caroline. “You’ve got to be there by 9:30am, I’ll send Alessandra out with you.”

Off I go, annoyingly following around the journo who was frantically making phone calls and fixing her makeup and hair in the car. The cameraman was ready, waiting for us, and we hoped in the news car.

After some time, I asked where we are going. “Climate change press conference,” Caroline replied.

We arrived at the conference. After 20 minutes of listening to a professor talk about high pressure systems, I couldn’t help but feel a little bored. I though to myself “Hmm, there mustn’t be too much going on today.” Lesson 1, sometimes you have to do stories that you don’t want to do. The news needs to be told at 5pm- whatever it is that day.
I was lucky enough to go to the courts the next day. Admittedly, we sat through some tedious committal matters. But, I was intrigued by the way the journalists follow-up and write stories about interesting, and not so interesting court cases. I realised that this is the true knack of a journalist, this is the art. To tell an interesting story. To sometimes find something out of nothing.

I was taken out to a SA police press conference later in the week, where they had announced a new initiative to drop the academic test in hopes of recruiting an influx of officers as part of an election promise a couple years ago. As the journalists went to question time, I thought they were going to ask about this new initiative. I was obviously taken aback when Tim asked, “So what’s your stance on euthanasia.”Another lesson learnt, don’t play it safe. Be fearless and get a good story, however uncomfortable it may be.

I was lucky enough to write up my own story throughout the week. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I learnt things that you can only learn on the road and feel ready to take the leap to start my career.