RADIO journalism student Greg Ford has jumped from being inspired by Newstalk ZB’s Sean Plunkett and Jason Pine to working with them.
Greg, pictured above, is the first student to begin an industry internship from Whitireia Polytechnic’s new Diploma in Radio Journalism.
With 15 stories produced in the first three days of his 12-week internship, Greg has quickly established himself in the Newstalk newsroom this week.
In the past two years the 51-year-old has shifted careers from banking in England to studying journalism in New Zealand.
“I had a hankering for writing. I wanted to write novels but it seemed a bit of an adventurous move so I started with journalism.”
He now finds it amusing that he has moved on to shorter and quicker writing in radio.
Greg chose radio over story writing because of the thrill of a deadline.
“I enjoy radio because its fast and you get the message across quickly.”
He has moved through Whitireia’s levels of journalism training, including introductory certificate courses and the National Diploma in Journalism (Multimedia) to his new passion.
In the national diploma he won awards for the best radio story, best diversity story and most motivated student.
Greg sees himself in the future sticking with radio, although he is not exactly sure where.
“I want to be in radio. You’ve got to be realistic at my age I have done most of my working life, almost paid off my mortgage and want to do something I love.”
Greg is happy to earn enough so he can travel.
The radio diploma launched this year as part of the Whitireia NZ Media Training Centre, is the only course of its kind in New Zealand.
“It’s a really good course Ana Tapiata is a great tutor, I have learned so much from it.”
