Katie Bradford’s online abuse
How did you end up working in television journalism?
I did a BA in politics and history at Auckland uni and then I did a graduate diploma in journalism. I actually kind of always thought I’d be a print reporter and then quite quickly moved on to radio and I loved it. It’s a great medium. And then I moved on from radio to TV.
Were you one of those kids who was always reading the newspaper or watching the news?
Yeah, we always watched the news. We always had newspapers at home. I think when you grow up in that environment, you’re immersed in it. Everyone in my family still buys the Sunday newspapers, everyone watches the news at six at night. I grew up in the car with Mum always listening to Morning Report on Radio New Zealand. It’s part of your life. You don’t know any different.
What was your first job?
I did some babysitting but I think my first proper job was working at a petrol station. I pumped petrol for three years all through high school. I got paid $6.12 an hour.
Were you tempted to follow your mum into politics?
No. I can’t think of anything worse than being a politician. I know far too much about their lives, having been a political reporter for 15 years. On the whole, they work really hard. I have absolutely no interest in being a politician. I’ll just stay on the other side, asking them questions.
What is the toughest part of your job?
People don’t realise how much work goes into what they see on TV when they sit down at six o’clock at night. There are a lot of people involved – producers and editors and camera people and everyone who works around you and supports you to make sure that you make it to air at six o’clock.
What kind of feedback do you get from viewers?
Most people who come up to me on the street are lovely. They say ‘‘thank you, I like the way you tell stories’’ or ‘‘I like the clothes you wear’’ or whatever. But conversely, you get a lot of social media abuse. I think political reporters probably get it more than others, and women certainly get it a lot more than men. And that can be quite hard at times. I’ve learnt to block [people online] very quickly. I’ve also learnt that a lot of people, I think, particularly on Facebook, make these comments about a story or a reporter, and they don’t think that people can see it. And if you’re having a bad day, that can be quite hard.
Why do you think women get more online abuse than men?
That’s the big question. That happens in whatever profession you’re in. I think women are easier targets. Some people don’t like women who are strong and independent and have a voice.