Lisa Smyth
Lisa Smyth, the Belfast Telegraph’s Health Correspondent, has moved from reporting the courts to covering the wide range of topics that make up the health news. The hope and courage of people fighting serious illnesses is an inspiring part of the work.
How did you get started in journalism?
By accident. I did a degree in English literature but didn’t know what I wanted to do from there. I found that my degree did not open many doors in terms of a career because I lacked any real experience. I decided I needed to gain a postgraduate qualification and one in which I would gain vocational skills and experience.
At the time, I really wanted to stay in Liverpool so I spent quite a while researching various postgraduate courses available in the city. I found one at Liverpool Community College which allowed me to gain invaluable experience and a nationally recognised qualification in journalism. As I always loved writing, it seemed like the best option at the time.
Where does your interest in covering health come from?
Originally, I wanted to work in crime but I covered a number of very technical medical inquests shortly after I started working at the Belfast Telegraph and my interest developed from there.
Health is such a varied subject that affects everyone and I get to write stories on a massive range of areas from inquests to medical politics and groundbreaking medical research being
done in Northern Ireland. It really is fascinating and I learn something new every day.
What is unique about being a health correspondent?
I feel my job really does allow me to make a difference by raising awareness of conditions and their symptoms so people know what to look out for and hopefully seek medical attention earlier.
There is also a huge amount of good work being done in the health sector and I love to highlight that whenever possible.
In your opinion, what are the top three main stories in health at present?
There is one story dominating the news agenda at the moment and that is the budget. Most of the stories I am writing relate to money, or the lack of it, and the effect that is having on front-line services.
We have already seen hospital waiting lists soar and this is only going to get worse. The Health Minister is calling for his department to be protected from further cuts but so far he has failed to provide any meaningful information to explain what further budget cuts will mean for services. We are waiting for the draft Budget to be finalised and hopefully that will shed more light on the challenges facing the Health Service.
What criteria do you use to select stories?
Health is such a massive area and there is so much going on that it is impossible for me to write about everything I believe deserves space in the newspaper.
The most important thing I consider when deciding what to cover is whether the story is relevant to our readers.
I do try to get a mix of expert opinion and case studies of people affected by the issue I am writing about. A good photograph to run with the story usually helps to get it placed in the paper as well.
What do you enjoy most and least about your work?
Without doubt the favourite part of my job is the people that I meet. The area I work in means I often speak to people who are fighting a terrible illness and they always seem to do it with such courage, which is very humbling.
Talking to people who have a terminal illness but are still filled with hope puts any of my little problems into perspective and makes me appreciate everything I have so much more.
Now that I work in health I no longer cover criminal trials and I have to admit that, while I love covering health, I do miss the buzz that comes with covering a major trial and waiting for the jury to come back with their verdict.
How do you relax in your free time?
I don’t have much free time as journalism is not a nine-to-five job and once you become a correspondent you are supposed to work as and when the big stories break.
Even when I am off, I tend to keep an eye on the news to make sure I’m not missing anything major and ensure I know as much as possible when I do return to work.
I do have two very lively cocker spaniels so most of my free time is spent exercising them. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous I like to take them to the Mournes to tire them out.
