Anna
Slater

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I choose to study at NTU after attending an open day. I had been to multiple other University open days across the country but was yet to find a course that I felt was right up my street. Not only were NTU and CBJ’s facilities of a professional standard, but all lecturers had worked in industry or still did. This level of real-world wisdom and experience ultimately made me pick NTU.

What did you learn – both inside and outside of lectures?

University taught me heaps about myself and my tendencies. I built healthy habits and felt a level of independence which developed my confidence massively. The course taught me all I needed to know about my chosen industry. It sparked my interest in politics and social affairs which are now my bread and butter. I developed skills such as resilience and collaboration which I use every day in my job.

What does your current day involve?

Depending on the shift I’m on, my typical day involves waking up bright and early (sometimes 5am) and reading up on any news developments that may have happened overnight. In the newsroom my job is to fulfil several editorial and logistical roles such as assigning reporters and crews to stories and planning our news coverage for big events. I am often based in Westminster which involves a lot of interviewing and researching. I am ultimately working towards putting together ITV National’s evening news programme.

What attracted you to this field of work?

I have always been an incredibly nosey person so a career in Journalism always seemed to make sense. I am very interested in the world around me and storytelling. I learnt so much about social affairs and democracy at university which lit a passion about News in general.

What challenges have you faced?

Initially when coming out of university it is very hard to break into the industry. It needs a lot of networking and marketing yourself. This was a challenge and I received lots of rejections before getting my first yes to enter a newsroom. However, once you have that foot in the door it is all up from there!

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

I have been able to interview lots of important people such as Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab, and met lots of interesting people like Ed Sheeran and Bonnie Wright. Working with big names in the industry like Robert Peston has also been a real highlight for me. The biggest challenge for me has been the imposter syndrome. Walking into a newsroom of incredible national-level journalists is really daunting and finding your place and asserting yourself is a big challenge.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to move into being a specialist producer. I also wouldn’t mind doing some more long-form documentary projects too. But for now I’m very happy where I am!

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at uni?

I would tell myself that I am a journalist that just happens to be a student. Not a student journalist. Start practicing as soon as you can!

Anna Slater on LinkedIn