August 2008 Woman in Media: Carly Weinberg

Since she
was in school, Carly Weinberg knew she wanted to be a sports journalist. To
further her dream, she studied towards a BA in Media Studies and English at University of Johannesburg (formerly Wits). Crucially,
she backed up her dream with determination; securing an internship with
SoccerLife Magazine during her third year of study. After that, the only way
has been up.

This
24-year-old Sandton resident has an exciting job at The Times, working as a multimedia sports journalist. One project
she is currently working on is an Olympics special report which will feature on
The Times website, consisting of
video and audio interviews with athletes she is currently working on, which she
records, edits and produces.

Learning the
technicalities of working with multimedia resources proved challenging at first
for Carly, but over time she has picked up valuable skills, and is enjoying her
ability to do things she otherwise would not have, had she just been a print
journalist.

Carly is one
determined young woman, and there is no doubt she knows what she wants, and she
works hard to achieve her goals. Despite her hectic schedule, gsport managed to
catch up with Carly to find out how she turned her teenage dream into reality.

Introducing
gsport’s August Woman in Media; Carly
Weinberg!

Carly, when and how did you get into sports media?

When I was
still at school I decided that I wanted to work in the media industry and,
because of my love for sports, I knew that sports journalism was what I wanted
to do.

So when I
was in third year at Wits (doing my BA in Media Studies and English) I
contacted SoccerLife Magazine to see if they were interested in having an
intern work for them. It turns out they did, and a few months later I found
myself working in the sports department at the Sunday Times, writing for
SoccerLife and occasionally for the Sunday Times.

What are your current projects and what do you enjoy
most about them?

I am
currently working on an Olympics special report page on our website. It will
consist of video and audio interviews with our athletes that I film/record,
edit and produce, as well as breaking news.

It’s hard
work at the moment, but I’m enjoying familiarizing myself with, and getting to
know, all the athletes who will be representing South Africa at the Olympic Games.

In addition
to that, I record a weekly sports podcast called Fan’s Corner with my sports
editor, Archie Henderson. We have a lot of fun recording it because we get to
give our own, sometimes biased, opinions of the weekends sporting action.

Tell us about a typical busy work day at The Times?

We have a
diary meeting at 9am every day where we put forward a story idea for the day.
If, for example, the Springboks are having a training session, I will go along
to that with my camera and a photographer. There I’ll film them training and
get comments on camera from a couple of the players. When I get back to the
office, I edit and produce the video before uploading it onto our website.

There will
usually be an accompanying print story and photograph that appears in The Times
newspaper the next day. If it’s a particularly busy, I’ll have two videos to
produce for the next day as well as a podcast. Blogging is also an important
part of multimedia so I try to blog on our sports blog (called Sports Shorts)
as often as I can

What’s it like working with multimedia in your job?

At first it
was challenging because we all had to get used to using new equipment. Instead
of going out to an interview with just a pen and notepad, as I had done
previously, I now take a video camera and tripod. And because The Times is a
daily newspaper, we’re all on daily deadline. This makes filming, editing and
producing a video each day rather tough!

But now that
multimedia is being taken more seriously, people are more understanding when it
comes to daily demands. So I’m really enjoying working with multimedia now
because I’ve picked up a number of very valuable skills that I doubt I would’ve
picked up anywhere else.

What did you do before joining The Times?

Before I
joined The Times I was working as a junior sports reporter at the Sunday Times
and SoccerLife magazine.

Where does your love for sport come from?

I’ve asked
myself that question many times and, to be honest, I’m not sure! But what I do
know is that when I was at school, I cared more for my sporting achievements
than I did about my academics! I participated in all sports – swimming,
athletics, tennis, netball, even cricket – and I loved it all. I only wish
there had been girl’s soccer when I was at school!

Unfortunately
I don’t play much sport anymore, only action netball, but I’ve made up for that
by the amount of sport I watch! For me, Saturdays are meant to be spent
watching Tri-Nations rugby, English Premiership football, a bit of Test cricket
and throw is some tennis!

What are your favourite sports to report on?

I absolutely
love soccer, especially the English Premiership. International rugby comes a
close second and then ODI cricket.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?

There have
been two highlights so far, and they both involve going to Paris! When I was at the Sunday Times I
traveled to Paris for the 2006 Champions League
Final between Arsenal and Barcelona.
I’m a huge Arsenal fan, so despite the fact that they lost the match, I managed
to meet many of the Arsenal players. It was incredible.

Then last
year, I went to Paris
for a few days during the rugby World Cup. I watched the Springboks beat Argentina in
the semifinal, which was brilliant. Even better than that, though, was that I
stayed at the same hotel as the Boks. That might just be my all-time career
highlight because I’m not sure if anything will come close!

How do you deal with the challenge of being a woman
in a male dominated environment?

As many
women in a male dominated industry know, the biggest challenge is to be taken
seriously. The only way to earn respect is to take yourself seriously and to
believe in your own capabilities. I follow many sports and I always make sure
that I formulate my own opinions about them. At the beginning of my career, I
was too shy to express myself because I was scared that I wouldn’t be taken
seriously. But now I am confident in myself; I know that my sporting knowledge is
more extensive than most men and I’m not afraid of entering into a debate. 

I think some
women make the mistake of trying to be like the men in their industry. But
women are not supposed to think like men, so it’s okay for us to have different
views and opinions. Very often, we are able to see things from a completely
different angle and I think that’s what makes us extremely valuable in any male
dominated industry.

Who are some of the people who have supported you
most in your career?

My family
has always supported me, even if they haven’t fully understood my crazy passion
for sport! I also have to mention the guys in the Sunday Times sports
department, who gave me my first chance in this industry.

Who are your favourite sports stars?

Shaun
Pollock was my always my favourite – I used to try copy his bowling technique
when I was in primary school! These days I’m a big fan of John Smit, who I
think is the most amazing captain, and Cesc Fabregas. I’m also very happy to
see Neil McKenzie back in the Protea setup because I’ve always been a fan of
his.

Which is your favourite stadium and why?

I have to
say the Stade de France in Paris.
Visually, it’s magnificent. But I also have great memories of the Champions
League final and the Rugby World Cup. Another stadium I have fond memories of
is Arsenal’s old home in London
– Highbury. It’s been knocked down now, but it was this amazing old stadium
squeezed between houses in North London. I was
fortunate enough to watch Arsenal play two matches there.

How do you keep fit?

I don’t do
as much physical activity as I would like, but I do play netball once a week
and I do yoga. I’m just not a gym person; I find it a bit boring.

What five words best describe you?

Ambitious,
motivated, reserved, restless, loyal.

How can we improve the state of women’s sport in South Africa?

I think the
most important way to improve the state of women’s sport is to raise the
profiles of sportswomen in South
Africa. They need to feature more in
newspapers, on TV and in magazines. Sports editors also need to make the
decision to ensure that women’s sports events receive adequate coverage in the
media.

Media
coverage is vital, because it brings with it exposure and, most importantly,
sponsorship. I think gsport is doing a fantastic job with this and hopefully it
will encourage more people to take women’s sport far more seriously.

gsport strives to celebrate femininity. What role does it play in your life?

Femininity
is about not forgetting your softer, dynamic, female side no matter what
environment you happen to be in. So for me, watching the rugby on a Saturday
afternoon isn’t accompanied by biltong and beer, but rather a cup of hot
chocolate and ice-cream! And if I feel like painting my nails at half time then
that’s fine because, despite the fact that I’m a major sports fan, I am still a
woman who likes to pamper myself and maintain my femininity.

What inspires you?

People who
manage to achieve against all odds. Oscar Pistorius and Natalie du Toit inspire
me because, despite their physical disabilities, they have achieved more than
most people could dream of and yet they remain so incredibly humble and down to
earth.

Traveling
also inspires me; I love experiencing different cultures in strange and
unfamiliar locations.

Who are your role models?

I admire
different things about different people, because I don’t believe that anyone is
perfect, nor should they be. I hope to inherit the focus and eccentricity of my
father and the commitment and dedication of my mother. I’m incredibly fortunate
to have parents who, together, embody everything I’d like to be.

What do you hope to be doing in 2010?

Ideally, I
would like to be a TV correspondent reporting on the 2010 Football World Cup.

What is your greatest ambition?

To raise a
family while balancing a successful career in media.