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Anthony G, Roving reporter

Where are they now? - Anthony Laughton

Boundary umpiring for local footy games and pursuing a degree in Journalism aren’t the only things keeping Anthony Laughton busy. His casual job at specialist sport radio station SEN 1116 requires him to start work at 4am so that he can present bulletins every hour until midday.

The way that Anthony handles this workload shows that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it.

Anthony finished his two-year run as Youth Central's Sport and Body Image Reporter in 2009. As Sport and Body Image Reporter he reported on the sporting world and wrote about the challenges young people have when faced with idealised and artificial ideas of physical perfection, and ways that people can face those challenges.

I spoke to Anthony about his experiences at SEN and where his career as a broadcaster has taken him.

Past Experiences

After my time at Youth Central, I went on to work for a number of radio stations, such as SYN FM, JOY FM, NOVA, SEA FM/MIX FM (in Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast), BAY FM/K-ROCK (in Geelong) and MTR.

My work has also taken me to read and produce for Perth and Adelaide stations 93.7 (Perth), 91.9 (Adelaide) and Sydney’s 2GB.

The Benefits of Working at Youth Central

Youth Central gave me first-hand experience with reporting, and helped me develop skills that would later help me in my future broadcasting jobs. My interviewing skills, which I learned from Youth Central, were put into practice when I interviewed NBL Star Nathan Herbert and AFL Goal Umpire Chelsea Roffey.

The interview skills that I developed at YC were the kind of questions I should be asking, as well as the angles I should be looking for to make the story more appealing. It helped prepare me greatly, as I would soon be entering a field of work that revolved around interviews. I’d greatly need to depend on those skills to succeed.

Working for SEN

Working in a professional environment can be intimidating, but the main thing is not to let the people and environment intimidate you too much. It’s all about not doubting yourself and doing the best you can. Rather than seeing it as intimidating, I tend to see everything as a learning experience. I try to learn as much as I can from the people and workplace around me.

The Best Thing

The best thing about the job at SEN is working independently and making editorial decisions. You’re in full control over what you’re writing, who you’re interviewing and what you're reading, which makes the job more fulfilling and satisfying. Plus the freebies are good as well!

The Challenges

The main challenges - well, for me - are the commitment of waking up at 3 a.m. and having to be at the station by 4 a.m. It can really test you at times. Meeting hourly deadlines and half-hourly deadlines can be tough, due to the pressure of trying to complete something and make it sound good in a short amount of time. The annoyance of waiting for people to call you back can really test your patience, especially when you have a deadline to meet.

Anthony's Effective Radio Hosting Tips

To be an effective host you’ve got to have a good, clear, friendly and confident voice.

You need to be able to think outside the square, able to think on your feet, fast and accurate, and you need to know how to develop a story straight away.

If you have these things, you’ll go far in the radio broadcasting world.

Plans for the Future

At the moment my plans are to finish my degree and get experience in other avenues, whether it's in print, online or TV. Somewhere down the line I want to travel and explore more stories.

That’s the beauty of journalism: there are stories everywhere wanting to be found, and so going out and finding those stories is something I want to do. As well as all of that, one of my future plans is to run for a position on my local council of Maribyrnong.

Advice for Budding Journalists

Based on my experiences, I'd say get out there and be prepared to work for nothing and make sacrifices. Put yourself out there, volunteer and be proactive. Suggest ideas to editors for publication, or to program directors for broadcast.

Youth Central is a terrific tool, especially if you’re studying journalism. It puts what you’re learning into practice. By implementing the skills you’re learning in the classroom, by trying out those skills on a regular basis, you're only going to get even better.

The world’s your oyster at Youth Central.

If YOU want to get published on Youth Central, check out our Get Published pages to find out how!

For more articles about Jobs & Careers, check out our Jobs & Careers section and our Articles Archive.

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