Simone Joseph

Simone Joseph, School of Journalism '99, is a reporter covering the southern part of York Region for Metroland (external link) .

What did you originally see yourself doing when you first enrolled in journalism school?

I wanted to be a reporter but preferably somewhere big like the Toronto Star.

How had that idea changed by the time you graduated?

It hadn’t changed too much except for the fact that I was willing to go anywhere even somewhere small or halfway across the country to gain experience.

How did you arrive at your current position? 

After graduating, I worked for The Canadian Jewish News full-time, then I took an internship at The Kitchener-Waterloo Record for the summer. Then I worked as a customer service person at Northern Reflections while in between jobs. Then I worked at The London Free Press for a few months in a staff position but I left when I didn’t think it was working out for me. Then, in Oct. 2002, I got a reporter position with Metroland in York Region.

What attracted you to working in community/local news?

It was an opportunity I hadn’t considered previously because I was so set on working for a daily but when I started being open to more opportunities, I realized community news had a lot in terms of what I was looking for – a chance to interview, report and write on a variety of subjects.

What’s the most challenging part of being a community news reporter?

Right now, I think it’s the fact that it feels like things are constantly changing. There have been a lot of changes in terms of what is expected of reporters. When I started out at Metroland in 2002, you were just expected to write, interview, report and that’s it. Now, reporters have some elements of editing mixed in – they write headlines, cutlines, choose photos, etc. What’s also challenging is the amount you’re expected to produce which is quite a lot.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

First, I try to clear my email. Then I tackle any leftover stories/work. I try to contact sources as early as possible because I know it can take longer than you’d think to respond. A lot of the time, similar tasks get loaded into one day like I’ll have a day filled with a lot of interviewing or one filled with a lot of writing. At the end of my day, I try to clear email again so it doesn’t build up too much.

What story are you most proud of working on? 

One story I’m pretty proud of is one that I wrote about a woman with an eating disorder and her struggle to get treatment. I spoke to one or two doctors about the struggle to deliver treatment as well as shortcomings in the medical system. I felt like I did a good job of capturing what it was like for this woman to battle an eating disorder while balancing that with some professionals speaking about the challenges of treatment.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

I love the interviewing and the writing part.

What’s one of your favourite memories from j-school?

Laughing with my friend Stacey during and after class. Doing my internship at a newspaper in Florida. First year - frosh week.

Any memorable School of Journalism professors during your time at the university?

Don Gibb. Who could forget him? He always had great anecdotes and a laid-back manner. I never had Stuart McLean as a prof but caught glimpses of him a few times and loved listening to his Vinyl Café stories on CBC.

What advice would you give to current journalism students?

Pay attention to what you enjoy about journalism and what you don’t. This can help determine your career path. Remember you are gaining skills applicable to other professions like communications. Don’t feel that journalism is your only option just because you earned a degree in it. Stay flexible, open to other opportunities!

Grads at Work is an ongoing series of profiles of  alums. If you know of a notable grad you’d like to see featured, send us an email at office.journalism@torontomu.ca.