Day in the life of a CBC Quebec intern
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent my time in Quebec City at the offices of CBC on 888 Rue Saint-Jean. This internship has provided me with a multitude of opportunities. I've had the opportunity to report on unique events like Comicon Quebec, and I also produced segments in a different tone, such as the recent conflict in the Middle East, where I spoke to sources in Gaza and Israel Defense Forces to verify information. This is all to say that the people here are some of the most creative and hardworking and they have taught me so much in only a few weeks. Here is a day in my life as an intern reporter at CBC Quebec.
6:30 a.m. - Begin the day
I remember talking to reporter Leena Latafat earlier in the year when she talked about how her days looked like as a journalist. She really incorporated self-care in her routine, which is why I try to follow what she does by trying to give the first hours of the day to myself, and being in tune with my mind before I fully jump into the news cycle. During this time I’ll try to do some form of meditation, read a book, or journal.
8:30 a.m. - Smell the coffee, walk to work
I start my walk to the studio. It’s nice to be able to walk the inclines of Quebec City. This is truly one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Except one day it was snowing, and I was going to slip. Yikes!
9:00 a.m. - Catch up on emails and look at what’s happening around Quebec
The first thing I do when I get in is to start tuning into the news. Yes, I probably have been scrolling through my phone, but this is when I get serious about what I want to pitch and the stories I want to do. This is a bit challenging because I’m not a local here. The first two weeks were tough in trying to know where to find information and gather sources, but that is part of the connection you need to develop with the community. As time went on, I was able to find stories that were fitting to the mandate for CBC Quebec, also while following CBCs Journalistic Standards and Practices (external link) .
9:45 a.m. - Morning pitch meeting
Every morning, journalists and producers will gather in this room to discuss what they’re working on for the day and what outlooks they have for the shows for the week. My pro tip to pitching is to be confident when you pitch. If you come off like you’re unsure of a story then you won’t land it. Confidence is key! Also take in the feedback, it’ll always make your story better and will enhance your skills in the long run too.
10:30 a.m. - Phone calls and emails
This particular day I was working on a story that was exploring the language laws of Quebec and how they affect techno-creativity studios here in the city. One thing about Quebec City is that it has a massive tech hub of video game companies and developers like Ubisoft and Beenox, while they have to navigate certain laws of French first in Quebec.
12:00 p.m. - Bringing it all together
Earlier in the week I went down to a studio and gathered tape there already and had to do a quick follow up via phone and email a few days later. Then I had to read over some documents, isolate the clips I wanted to use in our editing software and then write the script down for a talk-tape that I will do later on in the day for the afternoon show.
2:00 p.m. - Prepping for the talk tape
One of my supervisors, Julia Page, who is also a producer at CBC Quebec, was helping guide me through the process of getting a talk tape on air. She walked me through the process, helped perfect the script, provided context and performance coaching as well as a lot of feedback. Throughout the internship she helped me grow as a journalist and as a student, and for that I will forever be grateful.
4:00 p.m. - Eating lunch and tuning into the first hour of the show
I would usually eat lunch a bit earlier, and yes my lunch is late. At the same time I’m tuning into the show and listening to all the great pieces that we produced and reported on for the day!
5:00 p.m. - Heading home, and friends and family time
I’ll typically head home around 5. After work, I will keep tuning into the rest of the show on my way home. Typically I’ll want to unwind and not do much afterwards. I’ll likely call home and check in on everyone back home in Toronto. I might even go and play Roblox with my nieces and nephews who I miss dearly.
This article is dedicated to all the journalists around the world who put their physical and mental health at risk to keep us informed, who spend hours, days and sometimes weeks away from their loved ones for a job they have a lifelong dedication to. Your work is vital. Please take a moment to acknowledge and recognize the work that they do.
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