Breaking News – Charlotte’s Next Chapter

Charlotte Italiano, Class of 2019, initially had a strong passion for theatre, leading her to study Theatre Arts at Curtin University. However, it was a single elective in Broadcast Journalism that opened her eyes to a new calling. That one class transformed her love for storytelling into a deep passion for journalism, changing the course of her career.

What inspired you to pursue a career in Journalism?

I have always loved storytelling, and initially, I wanted to pursue a career in acting, so I went to Curtin University and studied Theatre Arts. In the second last year of my degree, I did an Introduction to Broadcast Journalism elective, which I was always curious about. I loved it! I found my passion for truth-telling and creating human connection through story-telling. So, I changed my degree to a double major. During my time at Curtin, I was also selected to go to Singapore, part of the New Colombo Plan. Reporting in another country and getting out of my comfort zone was fundamental in my realisation that if I wanted to give this a shot, it would get uncomfortable but would be so worth it. So, exploring and learning about myself inspired me to pursue Journalism

Did your time at Santa Maria influence your decision?

Going to Santa Maria has been such a big part of who I am as a person today. I went to boarding school and it helped develop a big part of my independence. I loved Drama and English and had three teachers – Amanda Huxtable, Ben Court and Meg Anderson, who particularly helped me foster my ambition and challenged me to be the best student I could be. I look back now and the skills I learned in these subjects have shaped who I am as a journalist today. Being on live TV daily as a weather presenter or when I do live crosses, Santa Maria’s Drama program taught me how to work under pressure and deal with interviews of a sensitive nature. As for writing, I was always a C-grade student in English and struggled a bit, but when I was doing ATAR English, I got extra help from my teacher, Meg Anderson. With some hard work and dedication, I ended up getting an A in English ATAR. It goes to show developing a good work ethic is integral. Santa Maria has influenced me in many ways. Finding out what my passions are and developing a range of skills led me on my career path. I know this is a big statement but I honestly don’t think I would be where I am today without my experience at Santa Maria.

What advice would you give to someone keen to pursue a career in journalism?

Firstly, everyone is different; it doesn’t matter if you are at high school or university. Involve yourself in as much journalism as you can! It might mean doing work for free, which sucks, but news editors want to see how much you want this, and that means actions! A good CV is the next thing. To get into broadcast news, you need something to make you stand out from everyone else. For me, that was my study abroad in the USA, where I was a freelance journalist in Nevada. I know not everyone can study abroad, so that is when working for local community newspapers and radio stations helps! Lastly, just believe in yourself; I know it is cliche, but you have to fake it till you make it – editors want to trust that you can do the job, and for them to do that, you need to trust yourself and your ability. Back yourself 100% and never give up. Things always have a way of working out.

Can you share a memorable experience from your time as a Journalist?

My time in Tasmania working for Channel 7 and Channel 10 was a highlight in itself! But if I have to pick one, I was flown to Kalgoorlie by GeoMoby, a mining technology company, just last week. It was there that I got to report from an underground mine on this new technology that locates lost miners. It was incredible – learning about underground miners and that many big mining CEOs don’t know where their workers are underground most days is crazy. Being able to fly somewhere with a camera operator to do a story was something I’ve always dreamed about and was really memorable.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Every day is different, but when I am presenting the weather, I come in at 9.30 am and have a few story ideas ready to go for our meeting at 9.40 am. Once my news editor had approved my story for the day, I set up interviews for my deadline of 3.00 pm (a very quick turnaround). Most days, I get to travel across the South West. I am based in Bunbury, and the furthest we go on short notice is Margaret River. Once I have gone out with the camera operator to film our interviews, we should be back in time for our 2.00 pm meeting. This meeting is for the editor to check in with each story and choose what our openers and closing vision will look like. Then, after my story package gets subbed, I voice it and hand it over to the editors to put together. At 3.00 pm, I start writing weather and updates. We pre-record updates at 4.00 pm, they get shown throughout the night during ad breaks. When 5.00 pm comes around, I should be finishing Weather 2 and preparing for the show to start. At 5.30 pm, we go to air. I present Weather 1 around 5.40 pm (which is focused on today’s weather). Around 5.55 pm, I present Weather 2 (which is focused on tomorrow’s weather), and by 6.00 pm, 7 Regional WA News finishes, and that is my day.

How do you like to unwind and spend your free time?

During my free time, its very important for me to de-stress, for that exercising is very important. I like to go to the gym, play netball, run, and swim at the beach. As I now live in the same state as my family, getting to spend time with them is what I find myself doing the most in my spare time. Because I have my weekends free, if I crave some city life, I normally drive up to Perth to hang out with my friends and spend time with them. Living so close to Dunsborough and Margaret River is also where I am finding myself in my spare time. 

If you could interview any person, dead or alive, who would it be?

One Person I would love to interview is Will Smith. I am a big fan of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and it would be incredible to chat with him about his career and the adversity he has had to overcome – not to mention that famous slap, haha!

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