The news in focus

By Nicki Bright

Everyday journalists like Ben Millar report news. The public read and see it. But many don't realise the time consuming process that occurs before the news is sent to print. Ben speaks with Nicki Bright on what his normal day involves.

Ben Millar was a freelance journalist for 4 1/2 years before his current position at The Lake Times, a community newspaper distributed free in Shellharbour City, Dapto and Southern Wollongong.

"Being a reporter for a local newspaper I get a pretty good idea of what is happening in the community and I get to give the people in the community a voice," he says.
"While it's often very hard to know what a good story is, it helps to look at a person's involvement in an issue. If the story is something that is affecting someone and they are passionate about the issue, you can usually bring them out in the story, which makes good reading," Ben says.

Interviewing is central to a journalist's job. "If you have got the time (which is not always the case) then preparation can make an interview great. A journalist should go in knowing as much about the topic or subject as possible. You need a list of good ideas and questions you want to bring up," he says.
However "an interview can be ruined if a journalist restricts the interview to their written questions, you need to stay open to other possibilities and let the person talk".

Ben feels the best way to get an interviewee to open up is to "start generally, keeping the curly, hard-hitting questions till the end, you need to look interested, listen and let things warm-up".
"It's important to keep it simple and to be sympathetic, never appear to be taking sides in an interview."

The most important skill for a journalist Ben says is "the willingness to go out and ask questions. Don't be too pushy and make it seem like there is a reason why people should speak to you".

Ben considers "thinking on your feet, being prepared, listening and time" as the "key" to reporting. Funnily enough, he says, no reporter should be without "a note-pad and a pen that works".

Like all journalists Ben says with a little extra time he could no doubt improve his craft. "Drafting is imperative to a good story, the more drafts the better," but time is not always a luxury journalists can afford. "More often than not we go out to a story in the morning and it must be completed that afternoon," he said.

A personal improvement Ben would like to make is to develop his photography skills. Restricted by a small staff, the four Lake Times reporters take their own photos as they can only afford to send one reporter out for each story. The reporters need to be multi-skilled.

With Ben's passion for writing and meeting people, it was a natural move for him to become a journalist. He encourages any person contemplating a career in journalism to make sure they have this passion and to "be willing to start anywhere, be receptive to whatever avenues are opened up to you, and put yourself out there".