Journalist/Reporter (Communication Studies, BA)

April Robinson, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal

April Robinson, a 2006 Laurier graduate of the Communications and Business Administration option program, discovered her true passion for journalism while working as the editor-in-chief of The Cord Weekly from 2006-2007. After a few years of tough work, April is now working as a reporter at the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and can confidently say “I love this work. It’s the best; I can’t imagine doing anything else right now.”

April entered the Masters of Journalism program at University of Western Ontario in 2007. During the one-year program, April made connections in the journalism industry, gained experience volunteering at the London Free Press and built upon her writing, research and interviewing skills. “I think it (postgrad journalism studies) helps a lot. For me, it helped to get the connections I needed to get into the industry… Internships get you a foot in the door, it also helps to have extra skills and background because the teachers have worked in the industry before,” explained April.

April’s great work experience included being the editor-in-chief of The Cord, volunteering at the London Free Press, interning at The K-W Record as part of her master’s degree and working at a weekly paper in Yellowknife for five weeks. Her experience was an asset when she was applying for reporting jobs all over the country. April offered an important piece of advice, “You have to do your time in internships; you can’t just get a job right away. It is really competitive.” As a result of her perseverance, April was offered an internship position at the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, which later translated into a permanent position as a reporter.

April loves the variety her career offers her every day. For April, the best part about working as a journalist is “All the different people you get to meet, and all their stories and the struggles they have been through and being able to share that story with other people.”

As a reporter for a daily newspaper, April writes about two new stories everyday, which means that every work day is challenging and varied. Although April finds her job very rewarding, meeting daily deadlines can be stressful, “A lot of the time it is unpredictable. Often you’ll come to work and you thought you had your day planned out, but it totally changes. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming; there are times when you think ‘I don’t know how I am going to get this story done.”

Some final advice: a career in journalism requires “someone who is hard-working, doesn’t give up and perseveres. You have to be able to handle pressure and take criticism, juggle priorities and love to write.”