5 minutes with the media - Fionnuala Jones

Media HQ are running a series of short interviews with some of the country’s many talented journalists. In this series you can see why they do what they do, what they love, what they hate and who they look up to.

In this post we speak to Fionnuala Jones. 

Fionnuala is a digital journalist with newstalk.com.

Did you always want to be a journalist? What persuaded you to become one? 

I remember growing up my dream job veered between being someone who trains guide dogs and a painter. By the time the Leaving Cert came around, mind, my Mam had to beg me to put something else down bar journalism in DCU. It was all I wanted to do.

How long have you been working in the media? Is it what you expected it to be like? 

I’ve been in my current position for a little over six months now, but I’ll be a year working in the industry shortly.

It is and it isn’t – I was prepared for a lot of what I’ve seen through college. It is absolutely true what they say about the pacing and the hours – both hectic! I underestimated how unpredictable it is too in terms of content – your output is not one-size-fits all when it comes to media organisations.

What do you like most about working for Newstalk?

The freedom! Within my position I have a broad scope to cover a lot of different topics including sports and lifestyle pieces. Genuinely though, it’s also been a great place to learn. I would have never considered myself a strong current affairs writer before I started – it’s been a huge confidence boost.

What has been your own biggest challenge to date?

Content-wise, developing ideas is a real struggle for me. It doesn’t help that I’m extremely impatient and a perfectionist on top of that! If something seems like it’s going to take an infinite amount of time to meet my standards, I don’t tend to follow through. I really rely on strong direction, but it’s something I’m looking to work on myself.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about your job?

Probably that I work on air! (I’m too cork to be let near a mic). I think people underestimate how much work is involved in digital journalism – stations are beginning to realise the benefit of having that as well as their broadcast material.

What piece of work are you most proud of so far?

I recently profiled Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney in the context of the Fine Gael leader contest. Obviously, it’s not the sexiest piece, but it took a lot of work and I was completely out of my comfort zone. Such a learning curve – and the piece is decent too.

What is the most valuable thing that you’ve learned in the early days of your career?

Be indispensable, without being a doormat. Go out of your way to show off your knowledge and take every opportunity to apply. That does NOT mean working for free, mind. We’re all worth more than that.

What would your dream job in the media be and why? Is this your career goal?

I want to do Jools Holland without possessing any of the musical talent to go with it! Being honest, I’ve been asked this a lot of times and I’m still not 100% sure. I think anchoring my own show would be pretty cool.

Have you any advice for people pitching stories to the media? 

Be persistent! It just takes one person to identify with what you’re writing. So many times I lost faith after sending gazillion emails and getting nada back, but you have to be resilient. Also, beyond work, write proactively! It’s great practice and you’ll see your writing improve in spades.

Finally, what advice would you give to anyone who is considering a career in the media? 

Be realistic! Nobody’s pulling your leg when they tell you how tough it is. Ask yourself why you want to do what you want. If the answer is money or cushy hours, then I wouldn’t be recommending a career. Be prepared to work really hard though and you will reap the rewards.

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