Lina is a Showbiz journalist with IRN. IRN makes news bulletins for over 270 radio stations across the UK.


What attracted you to ITN?

When I left university I was determined to work as a broadcast journalist and where better to get thrown into the deep end than at ITN? I first joined as a producer/reporter at LBC and the learning curve was very steep indeed.  ITN's such a diverse organisation to work for with opportunities presenting themselves every day. When I joined IRN I was able to read news bulletins, report live from major events as well as appearing on ITN news as a showbiz correspondent. I don't know of anywhere else where you can cross various mediums so easily.

Describe a typical day

It sounds cliched but at IRN there's no such thing as a typical day - it's always soo varied.
In one week you can find me going to film screenings, interviewing actors at film junkets (and yes it's just like that Hugh Grant scene in Notting Hill), standing on the red carpet at premieres, forward planning takes a hugh chunk of time and generally chasing an entertainment story by spending A LOT of time on the phone and writing e-mails.

What's the best thing about your job?

The fact that every day is different. I've been lucky enough to travel,  covering the Oscars in LA, the Cannes Film Festival and the MTV European Music Awards in Portugal. It's incredible having to think on your feet in a foreign country and out of your safety zone. It's not all easy sailing though and all the hard work and fourteen hour days are always worth it. There's also nothing quite like the excitement of working in a newsroom. When a story breaks the adrenaline kicks in and you're working on auto-pilot.

And the worst...

Dealing with some difficult 'talent' and finding the best way to get them to open up to you. And those sinking stomach moments when you have to bring yourself to ask THE difficult question that everyone wants to know.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in your area?

Be prepared to work hard and get creative. Figure out a way to get some good work experience and really spread yourself about. Don't wait for opportunities to present themselves and always put yourself up for more work especially in the beginning. It's hard to get the balance right between being pushy and getting what you want - but it's always worth a try.
Oh and on a really basic level - hard working journalists always appreciate an offer of a tea run.