Journalist Spotlight | Interview with Jonathan Williams, Daily Editor at TVNZ

In this latest interview from Medianet, TVNZ Daily Editor Jonathan Williams shares how he got his start in journalism, what a fast-paced, multi-platform news day really looks like, and his no-nonsense advice on newsroom planning and what makes a pitch genuinely useful to editors.

Kia Ora, Jonathan! Thank you so much for speaking with me! I’m so keen to talk more to and about journos working in Aotearoa. Could you tell me more about how you got your start in the media?

I studied at Auckland University and then AUT, and got a part time job on the 1News Assignment Desk while studying.

Tell me about being a Daily Editor for TVNZ. What does your media cycle look like, and what does a typical day in the newsroom look like for you?

There isn't really a typical day - that's the uniqueness of working in news. Our media cycle is now an all-day affair across our two digital platforms 1news.co.nz and the news page on TVNZ+, with our linear TV tentpoles of Breakfast and 1News at Six. I'm in the office at 6am, getting the editorial day started and creating our bespoke digital news bulletin News in 90 Seconds.

You’ve also worked across different media organisations in Aotearoa. In your experience, how have they differed in planning and producing content, taking of course into consideration the different roles you’ve stepped into?

Every newsroom I have worked in has had different planning methods, with good and bad elements. Some have centralised planning, whereas others rely on individual reporters and producers to feed into the cycle themselves. There's no right or wrong way, it's about what works for the worker bees creating the content.

Finally, what makes for a good pitch? And how do press releases fit in to your sources for news stories?

Get to the point. I don't need a pithy greeting or something to make the email feel personal - I've been around long enough to know that the same email's usually being sent to every news editor in town, so don't pretend that it's not. Tell me what the top line of the story is and when it's for - that's what I need to know. Press releases can be a good springboard for stories, but be prepared for anything you pitch to become part of a wider story, not just about the narrow angle you're pitching.