From Precious
July, 2008
Jessie Aru
Presenter/Producer | Media
Precious: Tell us about the route to your present position.
Following a successful junior athletics career, competing for Great Britain and England, I volunteered at a local community radio station presenting and producing a programme, while studying for my A-Levels which were in Film Studies, Media Studies and TV Production.
After this I upped sticks and moved from my native Liverpool to London, bagged a Media and Society degree and subsequent Postgraduate in Journalism and landed my first writing job with BBC Sport Online. From there I moved to BBC London's new sports service working as junior sports reporter which involved setting up guests for the FM radio show, carrying out interviews with sports people across all sports everything from football to ice hockey. From this job - it was a dream come true when I was asked to present a show for the BBC's station for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
After success at this station I moved back to London to present a daily live children's radio show for BBC7 called "The Big Toe Radio Show" and now alongside presenting and reporting on this show, I also freelance produce on BBC Radio Five Live's international news show "Up All Night." I've just landed a job presenting a music show with BFBS - (British Forces Broadcasting Services) which is an independent radio station with a remit to entertain the British troops wherever they are in the world. It's Brilliant as I get to travel and present all at the same time!
Precious: Describe a typical working day.
I don't have one! As I'm a freelancer juggling different jobs there is no typical day for me. For example today began around 10am editing the audio for a sports series that I am producing for BBC7. Then at 12.30 I jump on my bike and cycle to BBC7 to present the show. There's a production meeting at 1330 with the producer, team leader and the other presenter - here we talk through what's going to be in the show.
From 1400-1430 we will write a 30 second teaser called the trail and do this live at 1500. Then myself and the other presenter go through the script again, dividing it up and making sure we are clear on everything. Our guests usually arrive around this time so we meet them and tell them what's on the show and give them a little tour around the studio to make them feel comfortable and put their microphone on and to a run-through their first few items making sure all our sound levels are okay. We go live between 4-6pm.
If I'm working on "Up All Night" at Five Live my working day doesn't start until 1700. At 1800 we have a hand-over where the day team tell us the stories that have been set up and contacts that have been made. Then the night team, which usually consists of three people discuss some of the ideas for stories that we have sourced ourselves and discuss where they can be scheduled into that evenings show.
From there we try and fix those stories, which involves making phone calls and setting up relevant guests. We also search for relevant audio to illustrate the pieces. At 2100 the presenter comes in and we talk through the show and then they carry out the prerecorded interviews we have set-up for them. As it is an international news programme that goes to air at 0100 after 2100 we can start looking at stories in South East Asia, Australia etc. as they are just waking up. Often the show has been involved in breaking some of the most compelling stories including the Tsunami disaster in December 2004.
Precious: What do you love most about your job?
The diversity and eclectic nature of it. Some people can be happy sitting at an office desk 9-5 every day but I am not that type of person I need to be doing different things to keep my brain ticking over!
Precious: Is there anything that you really dislike about it?
It can be a double-edged sword as the eclectic nature sometimes means that different roles can clash just in terms of time so sometimes you can feel a bit tired, but overall it's good.
Precious: What's been the most exciting event of your career so far?
Presenting a stage show in front of 7000 England football fans in Manchester was a real buzz. It was the lead-up to the England v Argentina match and the atmosphere was electric. I've interviewed everyone from (Arsenal manager) Arsene Wenger to the actor Will Smith, but one of my proudest moments was speaking to Tommie Smith who was one of the men who stood on the podium in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and held his fist aloft in a sign of Black Power. This guy was at the height of his career and was passionate enough about the plight of Black people across the world to risk everything. Many sports people today would not be brave enough to stand up for something they believed in, in such a visible way.
Precious: How do you see your career progressing over the next five years?
In the next five years, I plan on working abroad much more. As clichéd as it sounds the world is a great place that I need to explore and working in the media allows you access to some places that other jobs don't allow you.
Precious: What do you do to relax?
I exercise, I love playing volleyball and play at least three times a week. I also enjoy going the sauna and having a right old laugh with my friends. The kind of laughter that makes you stomach hurt afterwards!
Precious: Any advice to those who wish to follow in your footsteps?
Believe in yourself, be persistent and don't take no for an answer and also try not to be a one-trick pony. The media world can be quite fickle and the more skills that you have the more employable you will be.
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