ITV News Traineeship - What Our People Say

Caron Bell: On Screen Journalist, ITV News West Country

I started my ITV journey as the Granada trainee in Manchester. I'm from Preston so even though the region was familiar, producing its news certainly wasn't. There are lots of new systems and terminology to get used to ('Underlay'? I thought that was a carpet). But the combination of hands-on experience and trainee courses throughout the year are invaluable, and cover all the skills you'll need in the years ahead.

After the year in Manchester I headed south to ITV West Country in Bristol as a Production Journalist. Bulletin production, website curating, filming, script editing, even presenting - you name it, PJs do it. Fast forward two years and I've taken on the role of Bristol Reporter, covering for a maternity leave. This job has involved going up in a hot air balloon, down in a cave, into a sewage works; you never know where you'll end up and I daren't go anywhere without Wellingtons. To top it off, in the summer I spent a month at the ITV Network Newsroom in London.

 

Sam Holder: Production Journalist, ITV News Meridian

Since finishing the traineeship in July, I've become a full-time production journalist at ITV Meridian. It's exciting, fast-paced and always very busy! My day-to-day role can involve anything from putting together our late and early bulletins, editing the website and even self-shooting my own on-screen reports. I was the sole weekend producer during the Shoreham air crash and recently reported live from outside court in London.

The traineeship is an incredible opportunity to learn from the best within ITV. The courses, such as scriptwriting and camera training, give you all the necessary skills to thrive in a newsroom. I enjoyed that it was hands-on and we could put our new training into practice in our respective newsrooms. What I've really appreciated since

 

Ruje Yasmin: Content Editor, ITV News Meridian

I started off as an ITV News trainee back in 2011 and I’m now one of a team of Content Editors based at ITV Meridian. I work in the Maidstone newsroom with the team that covers the South East of England. ITV Meridian produces three shows every day - for the South East, the Thames Valley and our West region. I lead our newsgathering operation on-air and online - essentially, I'm the News Editor but can also produce, report and do lives when required.

Ruje Yasmin

My job involves deciding what stories we are going to cover on the programme and our website, working with our correspondents, reporters, camera operators and output team to find the best stories each day. I am also the contact point for our network news colleagues and the Good Morning Britain team and many news providers in the region with the emergency services, councils and working with colleagues from across ITV to ensure we have the best possible programme every day.

I love my job, I get a great buzz from chasing stories, working to tight deadlines and working together as a team.

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