a The Media Report 2014 interview. Eye Witness News (EWN) editor-in-chief Katy Katopodis answers 15 questions on her life, her values, the hurly-burly of daily news, and media independence. And that’s not all.
Who are you and what do you do?
Katy Katopodis: I’m a news hound — a treasure collector of unique and interesting stories, if you like — and I love nothing more than sharing those treasures and the adrenalin rush of a big, breaking news story.
Where do you come from?
KK: I’ve come from an environment where hard work and long hours paid off.
Where are you going to?
KK: I’m going where the news cycle takes me and my team.
What are your favourite virtues?
KK: Kindness, honesty and generosity.
What is the one thing you believe to be true?
KK: Professionally: A strong work ethic, a glass half-full attitude, leading by example and passion will see you succeed.
Personally: Family first.
Who has most influenced you in your professional life?
KK: No one person, but rather a variety of people I’ve met along my news journey.
Who do you most admire?
KK: I admire the millions of women who work and live in our homes, and help working moms like me raise our children when we are absent, while not being able to raise and nurture their own. They deserve our deepest respect and gratitude.
What is your idea of happiness?
KK: Long holidays by the sea…
If you weren’t yourself, who would you most like to be, and why?
KK: Ariana Huffington! I love what she’s done with Huffington Post: its ever-growing, ever-evolving, innovative journey has been inspiring to watch. And I think she’s super-cool.
Who are your heroes in real life?
KK: Those who’ve made something of themselves despite terrible difficulties and sacrifices. You know… the proverbial phoenix from the ashes analogy.
Moving on to your work at EWN. Why is independent news media important?
KK: It’s critical to be able to reflect the goings-on in society — without fear of retribution or backlash. There must be nothing worse than constantly worrying about whether or not you’ll be forced to pull a story or always having to appease the powers that be with the type of reporting you’re doing. And nothing more limiting than having to adhere to news quotas. 70% has been bandied about in some newsrooms as we know. It’s awful and those who push this agenda lack a true understanding of news and the role of journalists.
What differentiates EWN from any other news media?
KK: We are an extremely fast-paced, fearless newsroom with a highly regarded team of award-winning journalists, and we’re always innovating and growing.
We cannot afford to stagnate, or even remain steady in this competitive environment so we’re always doing new things in the news space. Critical to EWN’s reputation is that even at the pace at which we work, we always adhere to the pillars of good journalism and report with integrity.
What proposition does EWN offer media buyers or brand owners, and why is this different or unique?
KK: We reach a very large audience across a variety of platforms, including our four radio stations and our digital and social media offerings. Brands that align themselves with EWN are aligning themselves with the values we espouse including innovation and credibility. They are associating with a news brand that people trust.
What value do brand owners get from supporting or advertising with EWN? How does this medium work?
KK: EWN engages with an informed audience of critical thinkers who are avid users of technology and social media. The EWN audiences are affluent decision makers, and brands that advertise with EWN reach that target market. As a fiercely independent news brand, the commercial associations that are made with EWN are facilitated in a way that maintains the integrity of both EWN and the client. This happens regardless of the platform – on-air or digital.
What’s important about independent radio — how does it support SA’s democracy?
KK: Democracy should be about giving the citizens a voice and there are very few platforms that do this as well as radio does. Independent radio allows many differing opinions to partake in a discussion, and exposes the audience to many sides of the issue. In the sense that it allows us to see the topic through others’ eyes, it promotes diversity and aids in transformation. Independent news is able to scrutinise authorities and serve as the fourth estate, keeping an eye on those in power and informing citizens so that they can make informed decisions about their government.
Follow on Twitter: @KatyKatopodis
This interview first ran in The Media Report 2014, which is published by Ornico with MarkLives.com as its official media partner. Read or download the full magazine via Issuu.
Visuals used are licensed through Creative Commons. Attribution and gratitude go to: Reporters Without Borders and the Give Dictators The Finger campaign; r2hox, who documents urban and street art; Rebel Mouse Digital artist, Surian Soosay; Khalid Albaih, founder of Freestock.ca; Nicolas Raymond, print buyer, and photographer, Karen Roe; photographer SandisterTei; and author, scientist and occasional photographer, Duncan Hull.
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