Sunday, 21 October 2007
“Perseverance makes a good journalist”, he notes as we arrive at the finale of our interview. “As for how much I’m paid”, he takes a sip from his mug… “well I just don’t know if I can tell you that.” Today I’ve been interviewing BBC script writer Ian Kennedy on his life and times as a journalist and, more importantly, what makes one good. Both Ian and I are ahead of ourselves though, let us retrace our steps.
“Working freelance is hard,” Kennedy notes as he opens the front door of his flat and removes his white overcoat and thick rimed hat. “I don’t freelance as often as I use too mind, well you know, since I got the job at Silver Street, I haven’t had to.”
Kennedy is a script writer for BBC Birmingham and freelance journalist. Indeed for a spirited 26 year old, he has an impressive resume; writing not only for the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers but now also for Silver Street, the premier soap on the BBC Asian Network. “The Asian community is right behind Silver Street, specifically in the Midlands… the Asian Network is very popular”, he notes as we move into his sitting room.
Ian started out his career in journalism at the Birmingham Post, the largest of five regional papers in the Birmingham area, shortly after leaving Nottingham University. After two years at the Post, he spent a few months writing freelance before, through what he tells me was a lucky coincidence, picked up the job at The Archers.
“Writing for The Archers was excellent for me”, he recollects as he enters his kitchen and turns the kettle on, “but it just never supplied consistent work. They hired you as part of a smaller team that would write in monthly blocks and… basically you normally only got a couple of months work from the show a year.”
Leaning back in a large armchair Ian explains. “Funnily enough I had actually gone back to Nottingham University for a lecture from one of my old professors; it was in many respects the last place I’d expect to find work. Basically the then producer of The Archers had come into the University to talk to students about making it in the industry and after the lecture I got chatting. Next thing I’m having drinks in a bar a few days later and starting a job on the show. It was really quite odd!”
As Ian pauses for breath I quiz him on his salary but he is uncomfortable and jokingly declines. That is, until he takes a sip from his mug. “Well, now I earn about 17 thousand a year… when I started out on the post though it was more like 12.” As I scribble down the paltry sum, Ian reclines somehow further in the armchair.
“Working freelance is hard,” Kennedy notes as he opens the front door of his flat and removes his white overcoat and thick rimed hat. “I don’t freelance as often as I use too mind, well you know, since I got the job at Silver Street, I haven’t had to.”
Kennedy is a script writer for BBC Birmingham and freelance journalist. Indeed for a spirited 26 year old, he has an impressive resume; writing not only for the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers but now also for Silver Street, the premier soap on the BBC Asian Network. “The Asian community is right behind Silver Street, specifically in the Midlands… the Asian Network is very popular”, he notes as we move into his sitting room.
Ian started out his career in journalism at the Birmingham Post, the largest of five regional papers in the Birmingham area, shortly after leaving Nottingham University. After two years at the Post, he spent a few months writing freelance before, through what he tells me was a lucky coincidence, picked up the job at The Archers.
“Writing for The Archers was excellent for me”, he recollects as he enters his kitchen and turns the kettle on, “but it just never supplied consistent work. They hired you as part of a smaller team that would write in monthly blocks and… basically you normally only got a couple of months work from the show a year.”
Leaning back in a large armchair Ian explains. “Funnily enough I had actually gone back to Nottingham University for a lecture from one of my old professors; it was in many respects the last place I’d expect to find work. Basically the then producer of The Archers had come into the University to talk to students about making it in the industry and after the lecture I got chatting. Next thing I’m having drinks in a bar a few days later and starting a job on the show. It was really quite odd!”
As Ian pauses for breath I quiz him on his salary but he is uncomfortable and jokingly declines. That is, until he takes a sip from his mug. “Well, now I earn about 17 thousand a year… when I started out on the post though it was more like 12.” As I scribble down the paltry sum, Ian reclines somehow further in the armchair.
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