Jim Fitzpatrick
How did you get started in journalism?
It was a last minute change of mind which took me towards journalism. I’d always enjoyed writing and was very interested in current affairs but was initially planning to study law. Once I realised that I didn’t want to be a lawyer, the only thing I could think of was journalism.
I managed to get a place on the old NCTJ pre-entry course at the old College of Business Studies and went straight into this practical training course after school. My first full-time job in journalism was as the news editor of the first community radio station outside of Belfast. I went on from there to work for The Irish News and after that ended up in UTV before joining the BBC in 2003.
Where does your interest in politics come from?
I must have been a bit of a political nerd from an early age. I always remember watching Newsnight. I was interested in studying politics but it wasn’t offered as an A-level at my school, so I went with a friend in our lower sixth year and studied it independently through the College of Business Studies. My teacher, a great character called Bobby Lunney, really encouraged us and we both emerged with respectable grades at the end of the year.
Please describe your normal routine.
I’m at Parliament Buildings Monday and Tuesday for Stormont Today. These are long days as there is a lot of preparation to do for the programme which is recorded after 8pm. On Thursdays I’m at Broadcasting House preparing for Sunday’s Politics Show. I also pen a weekly missive which is sent to subscribers via email. On Sundays I’m back at base for the live broadcast. On any other day of the week I may be working for radio – normally Good Morning Ulster – or on other television projects. Sometimes I even take a day off.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Journalists are adrenaline junkies. We have short attention spans and thrive on stories that are dynamic. Politics can provide those stories. I love the concept of journalism being a trade at which you can continue to improve and that I can avoid the need for retirement by keeping busy and curious until the day I’m minor copy on the obit pages.
In your view, what makes a good interview?
You want the viewer or listener to be interested and to learn something new. The style you adopt will depend on the issue, the interviewee and the context in which the interview is taking place. When I interviewed Bill Clinton in 2004 it was clear that he was tired, and in a very bad mood before we began. There was lot riding on it and we needed him to open up, so that was an interview where the initial approach had to be coaxing and then progress to challenging. In other situations I’m happy to go in hard from the beginning if the story demands it.
How would you rate the current level of public interest in politics?
The turnout figures at election time suggest the interest in politics here has now dipped below the general level of engagement in the UK as a whole. That’s a remarkable change. However, our viewing figures remain very healthy and when there’s a big political story we see them go through the roof. People here seem to remain fairly obsessed with local politics.
What have been the three main political trends in this Assembly? How do you see the next one changing?
The decision of the DUP and Sinn Féin to form a government was the biggest change we’ve seen in decades. Since then, despite some well-documented deviations, the general trend has been one of co-operation between these two parties with the combined objective of stabilising the current structures of government and reaching the finishing line of a full term in office.
How do you unwind?
I read, cycle, and sometimes cook. I enjoy great movies and television. I’m a huge radio fan and when I’m not listening to our own news output on BBC Radio Ulster I’ve normally got Radio Four, RTÉ 1 or Radio Five Live on. I’m also a busy dad and enjoy getting the kids out and about at the weekends. When we can organise the babysitting I love to get out with my wife for a nice meal and a couple of drinks, a chance to pretend that we don’t have all those responsibilities to keep us worried.
