Reigniting an Old Passion: Gareth, CHRW, & the Argonauts
/By Karli Steen, WorkStory Ambassador
In high school, Toronto Argonauts reporter Gareth Bush had always seen himself as a Canine Police Officer. However, in mid-pursuit of his Criminology degree at Western University, his passion for the world of sports media was reignited. Gareth attributes the re-ignition to his time spent volunteering with the campus radio station CHRW: "My time at CHRW Radio completely changed my life. They gave me so much freedom to explore the sports broadcasting world. I started hosting my own sports show, colour commentated the football games, and covered many mainstream sports events for the station. It's the reason why I'm where I am."
After the rediscovery of his passion and the completion of his undergrad, Gareth went for his Masters in Journalism, which helped him attain his position as Digital Media & Communications Assistant with the Argonauts. While Gareth has always known that his passion has been within Journalism and the world of sports, he also has a passion for music. He admits that both passions have been closely intertwined, as his music gigs helped pay for his education.
A day on the job has never a dull moment, and when asked what his job entailed, Gareth had this to say: "Every day is different. If it's during a regular day of practice I'm with the team. Putting together videos, interviewing players, filming lots of stuff. Also running the social media accounts and our website. If it's a game day I'm writing the recap, making/printing all the stat sheets, and a bunch of other little jobs."
Although Journalism isn't among the highest paying of jobs, Gareth says that the experience is priceless: "You meet new and exciting people with new stories to tell every day. In my case being a sports-focused journalist, you get to see some of the most exciting and historic sporting events take place worldwide. Plus you get paid to watch the game and tell the world about it. It's great."
His current position with the Argonauts is the beginning of a long and rewarding adventure, and Gareth says he's on the right track. He's where he wants to be, covering pro games and athletes every day. And, like every newcomer to a career, he looks forward to climbing the ladder.
For those interested in joining the field, Gareth shared these words of wisdom: "Get as much experience as you possibly can. Whatever it is you want to do, just stick your feet in as many doors as possible. Volunteer like crazy. Sports journalism relies very heavily on young and aspiring interns to do a lot of the dirty work. Take on as much as you can. When I started, I was hosting my own show, reporting, producing, colour commentating, writing, etc. All for free. But it got me tons of experience and built up a heck of a portfolio. Also, shake every hand you can find in the business. Word of mouth is strong in journalism. The more contacts you make, the better your odds are of getting in."
Catch Gareth in action at www.argonauts.ca
Listen to his other passion here: www.youtube.com/gareth9
