Lauren Martinez//Contributing Writer
FIU’s Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication at BBC will be hosting a webinar with award-winning journalist and NBC 6 reporter Stephanie Bertini on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 1 p.m.
Bertini will be discussing what she’s learned from her 10 years of experience and the importance of perfecting one’s craft.
“I’m basically going to be looking at what it takes, not only to work in the business, but to be successful. Your craft is what you do and how you do it. We’re going to cover everything,” Bertini said.
Bertini, who was born and raised in Toronto, realized she wanted to become a reporter after results from an aptitude test taken at her university revealed television broadcasting. After graduating, she kicked off her career by working at Canadian television station CTV News. Bertini always had intentions to venture into American journalism but had to overcome a few obstacles on the way.
“I always wanted to work in the United States. There are more opportunities. My transition into the American market was a challenge. I had to work on voice training because I had an accent. I had to work on style and being more interactive,” she said.
Bertini’s first reporter job in the U.S. came in 2010 in south Texas by the Mexican border. During the three and a half years she spent there, one of the stories she worked on exposed the Mexican drug cartel making its way into the police department at the border in the Rio Grande Valley. The story gained her a National Edward R. Murrow Award.
Bertini moved to South Florida and joined the NBC 6 team in May of 2015. Although this will be her first time speaking at FIU, she is eager and excited to share her experiences with SJMC students and prepare them to be worlds ahead.
“I feel a responsibility to share what I’ve learned. It’s my business to make myself available to you. I’m very excited to teach what I’ve learned from others and hopefully inspire future journalists.”
Image Courtesy of flikr