MAJ Archives

A journalist's profile, stories and careers in the field of journalism. Know a journalist who should be profiled here? Send an e-mail to Janet E. Bardon.

July 27, 2000
Boni Fox
Reporter/Host, CBC-TV
Vancouver, BC
Boni_Fox@cbc.ca

Why did you choose journalism?

I chose journalism because I loved the idea of telling stories about people, about the world, and how one affects and interacts with the other.  Of course when I made the choice, I couldn't have articulated it that way - I only knew it was what I wanted to do.

What was your second career choice?

I didn't ever have a "second" career choice.  There have always  been and continue to be other things I know I'm capable of and would enjoy, but this, then and for now, is it!

Where did you complete post-secondary education?

I am a graduate of the "School of Hard Knocks".  I went to work full time at the telephone company immediately after graduating from high-school, and after a few years of that began taking broadcast journalism courses at night school.  I also began volunteering at the community cable television station, where I learned to produce live television, write and shoot and edit stories.  When I got my first full-time reporting job, after a few years of this working-full-time-and-going-to-school-and-volunteering treadmill, I had no student loan to worry about, AND I had more "hands-on" and life experience than most of my fresh-out-of-school peers.

What experience best prepared you for the job of journalist?

Life itself has been the best preparation...  my life in particular.  My family moved a lot - I've lived in 11 different communities in Saskatchewan, BC and Alberta - and never completed more than three consecutive years at the same school.  My parents exposed me to a broad range of extra-curricular experiences so there was never a dull moment.  It means that rather than fear walking into new or unfamiliar places or situations, I relish the challenge.  I love to learn about new people, places, ways of doing things, and my job as a journalist fits that perfectly!

Tell us about a highlight of your career, a story you have covered or an interview you have conducted.

I have jumped out of an airplane on camera (when I was MUCH younger, MUCH more fearless!), I have interviewed politicians, performers, real people both live and on tape.  I have ridden in a French Fouga Magister jet doing tricks before an airshow. I've covered floods, elections, tragedies and celebrations. I've done radio, lots and lots of TV, some freelance print.  I am reluctant to identify any one story, or any one thing as a career "highlight", because it makes me feel like the best has already come and gone!

What do you recommend to young people considering a career in journalism?

Work!  Experience Life!  Explore!  Do Things! Ask Questions!? Go work in a small town!  Cover a School Board meeting!