Meet the MEDIA
Paul Reilly is a video journalist and news presenter at UTV. His career began in hospital and college radio, followed by stints in the print media before joining GMTV and the world of live television.
How did you get into journalism?
Like most people in this industry, journalism for me is a vocation. I’ve wanted to be a TV reporter and newsreader ever since I can remember. I’m sure my mum and dad have lots of stories of me as a child sitting at a table, shuffling papers and presenting my own news broadcasts.
I was never top of the class through school, but I always worked hard. I did GCSEs and A Levels at Glastry College on the Ards Peninsula, then studied for a business diploma followed by a business degree at what is now the South Eastern Regional College.
A year after graduating, I enrolled in the NVQ 4 newspaper journalism course at Belfast Met. Prior to beginning the qualification, I did a small amount of hospital and college radio. My first taste of a newsroom was at the Belfast Telegraph on placement and later as a freelancer.
I secured a full time job at a Belfast-based publishing house a few weeks before graduating from Belfast Met and went on to work there for two years before essentially chancing my arm and applying for a job with GMTV. I worked as a VJ and presenter at Macmillan Media for almost three years before the local breakfast TV franchise contract was won back by UTV, who then employed me. The past three years have undoubtedly been the best of my career!
Who have been your main mentors?
Far too many people to mention, but Dr John Coulter at Belfast Met was incredibly supportive as were Johnny McCambridge and Deborah McAleese at the Belfast Telegraph. Of course, Michael Macmillan gave me my first break in the broadcast media and taught me so much. It was a baptism of fire joining GMTV, within the first few weeks I reported on a General Election and the publication of the Saville Report into Bloody Sunday.
I’ll always be grateful to Michael for giving me such an amazing start in TV by providing me with VJ training and the opportunity to present live news several days a week. These days, I see people like UTV’s Sharon O’Neill and news editor Chris Hagan as my main mentors. I also have brilliant friends in the newsroom including Sara Moore, Judith Hill and Richard Cull. We support and learn from each other every day.
Which stories have been the most satisfying to cover?
I’ve been very lucky to dip my toe in network television. During the 2010 NI Water crisis I remember working flat out for an entire week. Filing packages for the national breakfast programme, doing studio lives with London, as well as presenting and producing the local news bulletins. I love live TV, the adrenaline is hard to beat.
What are the challenges being a VJ?
I’ve been VJing now for over five years so for me it’s the norm. There are days when you’ve just got your head around your story, set up all your interviews and the last thing you want to do is lug about all your kit and think about the technical elements of the report but when it’s all done it’s so rewarding. Not only do I shoot my own stories, I edit the reports as well. As a self-confessed control freak I am used to only depending on myself, despite working as part of a great team. I enjoy the process of storytelling and moulding my reports from beginning to end.
What are the most rewarding part of the jobs?
It’s all about people for me. Meeting people, chatting to them, allowing them to open up to you. Jay Beatty from Lurgan, who has Downs Syndrome, has left a lasting impression on me. I met Jay around the time my cousin Willow was born with Downs and Jay’s been a huge inspiration to my family. Also covering the story of Lisburn pensioner Lily O’Hara, who was robbed of her lifesavings last year, was very rewarding as was seeing the huge public response to the report.
If you hadn’t chosen journalism, what could have been your career path?
Well, I did happen to ask Louis Walsh the other week if 31 is too old to become a new pop sensation!?! But really, I’ve had the chance to visit lots of schools and give career talks.
Young people need to be told they can achieve anything they put their minds to. Who knows perhaps one day I’ll consider teaching? But I don’t think anything could ever rival the buzz I get from working in TV.
What do you do to relax?
My two Cavalier King Charles spaniels demand a lot of attention. I love nothing more than pulling on my wellies and wax jacket for a country walk at the weekends. I do have a huge collection of books, but I rarely have the time to sit down and get my nose into one.
My favourites are biographies of society figures and politicians during the first half of the 20th century. When I can, I’ll put on an episode of Downton Abbey and escape from the daily hustle and bustle for an hour.
