Telum Media spoke to Wilhelmina Shrimpton, Founder of Wils & Co. Media, about her career in journalism and her observations on the latest developments in the industry. 
How did you first get involved in the media industry? What has your career path been so far?
It all started during my final year of high school. My principal at the time was approached by TV1’s Breakfast for a student to come on the show for a youthful point-of-view on a couple of issues. She asked me to do it, and I happily agreed, not knowing that from the moment I stepped into that studio, I would become obsessed with the idea of journalism and broadcasting.

After my two appearances, I kept in touch with the producer at the time, and like any good journo, I emailed just enough for him not to forget about me, but not so much that I became annoying. Eventually, he brought me in for work experience, and I stepped into the meet-and-greet role one day a week while I was at university. After that, I secured a casual contract on the 1News assignments desk, and eventually worked my way up to full-time. I spent three years there before I went to RadioLIVE as a general news reporter, then to Newshub to report for 6pm and present Newshub Late. I then became a Host / Newsreader and investigative journalist for Today FM before it was shut down last year.

Since then, I’ve been doing a number of freelance / short-term contracts, and have decided to take the brave step of launching my own media company, Wils & Co. Media. It’s under this brand that I do a range of hosting / journalism, MC work, media training, PR / communications, writing, and videography.

Having worked in TV and audio, is there a medium you prefer? Why so?
That’s a really hard question, and one I often get asked. I actually love both mediums equally, and have spent an equal amount of time working on each. There’s something really powerful about writing to pictures for television. Because you have to get out of the newsroom to capture your vision and your talent, it means you’re able to truly immerse yourself in the story while you’re out in the field. Each story is so polished (unless it’s really the last minute), and if you’re lucky, you’re able to spend time really crafting each yarn.

With radio, I love the immediacy and the conversational feel to it. I’m able to share my opinion, and let my rather large personality out. You can form a much closer bond with your audience with the text machine / talkback format, and because you don’t need to be in the field, you can get information out quickly, which is fantastic during a civil defence emergency.

What's a particularly memorable story that you've covered?
That’s a really tough one. When it comes to breaking news, I’d have to say the Lindt Café siege in Sydney and the Kaipara Harbour boating tragedy, which happened not long after we started using Live U to transmit and broadcast our live crosses. We really put it to the test by doing live crosses from inside a chopper hovering over the search site, which I think was the first time we’d done that at Newshub.

When it comes to long-form stories, I’d have to say the feature-length video documentaries I researched, presented, and produced at Today FM. As one half of a small but very mighty team of two, we managed to get three documentaries out before the station was shut down, and later won at the NZ Radio Awards for the stories last year. Our final documentary also just picked up an award at this year's NZ Radio Awards for Best Long Form Video. 

It was the proudest I’ve ever been of the work I’ve done, and I was so grateful to the people who were brave enough to share their stories with me. Unfortunately, we lost the online platform they were being housed on, but I’m grateful that so many Kiwis were able to view them before they were taken down.

What are you looking to achieve and develop moving forward?
It was a huge and daunting move for me to go out on my own, and one I never would have considered were it not for the closure of Today FM. Most newsrooms had hiring freezes, and all I was able to secure was freelance work. But I decided that a bunch of smaller things put together actually made up the big thing, and that it would be an incredibly smart move given the seismic shift, change, and uncertainty within the media industry.

So I invested in a logo and a website, and decided to do it properly (email signature, finance software and all). I want to keep growing Wils & Co. Media and continue working with a broad range of clients. News will always have my heart, so I’ll happily jump at any hosting / journalism opportunities, but it has been so valuable to diversify and meet so many wonderful people and businesses through my PR, media training, and MC services.
 
Has the industry in New Zealand changed a lot from when you started?
Absolutely, and exponentially so. I first started in a newsroom nearly 16 years ago. This was before people used social media as a news source, before Live U and digital archives (I remember literally rewinding tapes to record the foreign feeds back when I worked overnight shifts at 1News).

There’s a lot more movement amongst the journalists in our newsrooms now, and a huge push for online content. We’ve seen it especially with the announcement of Newshub’s closure and the cuts at TVNZ. I often find myself grieving the good old gnarly industry I once knew and loved, but times are changing faster every day.

It feels awful not being in the trenches right now to support my old mates and colleagues while they navigate this incredibly tough time. But while there’s a lot of sadness about what once was, I have the benefit of being able to step back and analyse it all from a distance. I genuinely believe there is so much opportunity out there. There will always be a hunger for content. What will change is how it’s packaged up, and where it’s housed. I can’t wait to see and be part of the next generation of news consumption.

When receiving a pitch or outreach from a PR, what are you most likely to pick up or get involved with?
This is a funny question for me because now I sit on both sides. I’m pitched to, and also spend a bit of time doing the pitching for my PR clients. The thing that’s most important is the story. You’re unlikely to get picked up for a product or brand unless it’s curing cancer, or massively innovative. You need to find the story behind it, the relatable human element that people can learn and take inspiration from.

Know your platform. If you’re pitching to a visual medium, make sure that the pictures are sexy, and if it’s just audio, make sure that your talent sounds engaging.

What advice do you have for media professionals starting out in the industry?
The only thing that’s constant is change. Stay curious, follow your instincts, and remember that every story is important to someone. It’s a privilege to tell people’s stories, and we should never take that for granted. Don’t be in a rush! Take your time, hone your skills, and really enjoy the journey.