Bronte Charles is a proud Bundjalung Mununjali woman, working as a Digital Journalist and Producer for NITV (National Indigenous Television) at SBS. Bronte is a graduate of Macquarie University, the first of her family to attend university, where she was the recipient of three scholarships, including the Omnicom Media Group Australia scholarship for Indigenous students.
Medianet sat down with Bronte to share her experiences and insight.
You're currently working as a Digital Journalist and Producer for NITV, can you tell me a bit about how you got your start in the industry?
I started off working as a librarian at SBS, but I had my sights set on becoming a journo. I took a risk and emailed the head of NITV and asked if I could intern over the summer in the NITV newsroom. That risk paid off. During my internship, I was thrown into the deep end. By the second week, I was delivering my own packages for the NITV news bulletin. After my internship, NITV kept me on as a casual journo while I completed my studies at uni.
My advice to other people would be to always put your hand up and put yourself out there – even if it means you might get turned down. You never know what can happen!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career was being able to watch my first ever news story with my mum – who never saw people who looked like her or sounded like her on TV.
What perspectives and stories do you want to see more of in the industry?
I think that mob have all of these amazing stories to tell – I mean, we’ve been storytellers for over 65,000 years! It’s really special to be a part of a group of up and coming Indigenous journos who will amplify these stories. We have a long way to go, but I’m excited to help shape a new Australian media landscape.
What is a commonly held belief of your job and the industry that you disagree with?
I don’t think you have to be the loudest in the room to be a good journalist. What I’ve learned is that in order to tell someone’s story, sometimes you have to sit back and listen, have empathy and be kind.
If you could go back 5 years, what advice would you give yourself?
5 years ago, I was living in Redfern housing commission, determined to create a better life for myself and my family. I’d tell myself that the hard work will pay off.
Where do you see yourself in the future and where would you like your work to take you?
I just want to keep telling the stories of my people. I don’t know what that will look like in the future, but I’m keen to see where it takes me.
Any upcoming work we should keep an eye out for?
I have a piece about the Aboriginal art murals around Redfern in the works.
And lastly, what are your pitching preferences?
Send through an email :)
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