Environmental Reporter

Eve Savory

My father did not work in an environmental occupation though he saw the world through the eyes of a naturalist. Under his guidance, I grew up enjoying the wilderness of British Columbia and learning to respect its importance. I have witnessed extraordinary population growth in the coastal region during my lifetime and the corresponding loss of wilderness areas. It hurts me to see what one species can do to the planet. As a journalist, I can inform people about these issues.

Mentors are valuable sources of inspiration and wisdom. A respected news anchor once told me "it’s not the ice time but how you play” meaning that the amount of time you are on the air is not as important as the quality of the segment. I started as a radio reporter and moved to television with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (C.B.C.) a short time later. Because my specialist area is science, medicine, environment and technology I read widely across many subjects to keep up with the latest events. I have not made a conscious effort to plan my career, however, I have made a commitment to follow the advice given to me and keep the quality of my work at a high level. Along the way my adventures included eight visits to the Arctic to report on environmental matters. The learning curve has been steep on many occasions throughout my career and I am thankful for each experience.

If you do not keep up with current events in this line of work, you are not doing your job. I read four newspapers per day, many magazines, news releases, and emails. Watching television and listening to the radio is part of my work. When I have the chance I attend the Canadian Science Writer’s Association conference. It can be very challenging to keep up because you not only have to be familiar with what is happening, you need to be anticipating what is about to happen. A reporter has to always be ready for the next assignment.

There is a growing need for accurate reporting in this area. Awareness of environmental issues stimulates more interest in the environment. I believe the various environmental crises we are facing will become more and more evident and people will start to demand action from their politicians. For myself, I would love to see a new show on the C.B.C. where environmental issues could be discussed on a weekly basis. If the news value of these issues continues to increase we may see such a program.

I believe anyone who wants to be a journalist needs a general university degree, preferably with a mix of science and the arts. It is important to learn as many subjects as possible as you never know where you might be assigned. Environmental reporters need to feel comfortable with the sciences, history, international affairs, politics, psychology, business, economics and other topics in order to cover issues properly. There are few news outlets that can afford to have one person assigned solely to the environment. It is more difficult to get a job as a journalist without a master's degree in journalism. Once you have your education locate an intern position where you can demonstrate your ability to deliver a quality news item as a reporter or as an environmental columnist.

There are no typical hours for a reporter. Most reporters are always "on" and at some psychological level, we are always looking for stories and absorbing information because you never can be sure what you will find useful. I can expect to be called at home, on weekends, even on holidays when big stories break. It’s more than worth it when I travel to important events and I am able to interview people who are making history. I have the opportunity to talk with many amazing people from various countries and I enjoy telling their stories to my audience.

I hope my reporting has helped raise awareness that we are losing the natural environment of our beautiful, livable, blue planet. We all bear individual responsibility. It is important for me to feel I’ve made a contribution, even if only one person is affected by my story.