Now you may be wondering who I am, which is a valid question if you are going to trust me to share news stories, particularly in an era dominated by fake news on the internet.
My name is Jessica Mason, and I am a First Class Honours Broadcast Journalism Graduate from the University of Salford, and now freelance journalist.
I remember the exact time I finally decided what I wanted to do as a career. I was in the garden, revising for my GCSES, listening to the radio thinking ‘I’d love to present my own radio show’. It wasn’t until my dad asked ‘well why can’t you?’ that made me realise you don’t just have to be an ex member of The Saturdays to host your own radio programme. You can be anyone as long as you put the work in. And have the charisma for the whole nation to fall in love with you that is…
That’s a lie. In reality I thought how can I get famous (okay maybe that’s a stretch...slightly well known) enough to go on Strictly Come Dancing when I don’t have an ounce of talent.
Whichever one you want to believe, I saved up thirty quid for my first microphone from Currys to start my own music podcast in summer 2018 and then signed up to my town’s local community radio station Sine FM in my first year of college to start getting some experience under my belt. And my love for being behind a microphone started there.
Fast forward to now, and the passion is still here arguably more than ever. In my three years of being a journalist, I have covered some unforgettable stories. Hearing about people's struggles amidst the cost-of-living crisis or health battles or Ukraine war stories has genuinely changed my outlook on life. While also having fun covering entertainment stories, interviewing one of my all-time favourite bands Blossoms or reviewing brilliant artists such as Self Esteem and Jessie Reyez for free...perks of the job or what?!
I have had the pleasure of working as a researcher for the ITV Tonight programme and being an extra on BBC 3's Project Icon working with high-profile talent Jason Derulo and manager Frank Harris. I have worked as a reporter for local newsrooms Doncaster Free Press and Salford Now, while also creating social media content for Salford music festival Sounds From the Other City and upcoming platform Tattoo Lowdown TV in which I interviewed international tattoo artists and their clients on the stories behind their tattoos. I am also a technical producer, social media content creator and voice actor of Lucy Letby for The Mail+ Trial of Lucy Letby podcast which has had almost 4 million downloads on Spotify and has been nominated in the Press Gazette Future of Media Awards.
There is genuinely nothing else I want to do other than journalism. I just love the buzz from either being behind the autocue in the presenter's chair or in the gallery as part of the production team.
I suppose if we are talking ABSOLUTE DREAM job, I would love to host a radio show introducing audiences to upcoming music, set up my own gigs and interview bands for social media content. Primarily, I got into journalism out of the sheer love of music and wanting to talk about it all the time. So, maybe one day, ey?
*note to self - get some professional headshots!*
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