By Niamh Sullivan
Juggling her upcoming wedding, charity fundraisers and a busy work schedule, which kicks off daily with a 2.30am alarm, comes easily to this Channel 7 Sunrise correspondent Edwina Bartholomew.
Despite back-to-back work trips to the United States and a hectic diary, she didn’t hesitate to accept an invitation to speak at the first national Women in Media conference in 2017.
“Even though my fiancé probably would prefer otherwise, I like to be busy,” she laughs. “I just thrive on always having something on, always taking on new projects and always having a new challenge. You just have to say yes because 10 years ago I never would have dreamed about the stuff I am doing now. You never know where you’ll end up.”
Bartholomew is passionate about empowering women, which is why she takes her role as a volunteer committee member of Women in Media NSW so seriously.
“My experience in the media industry has been very positive to date so I have always tried to foster younger women who are following in my footsteps by helping them with any advice and any kind of guidance I can offer. I have been so lucky with great relationships and I think it’s really great to be able to pay that forward,” she says.
Edwina Bartholomew highlights the importance of mentoring. Photo: Tim Marsden.
Under the guidance of her mentor, Channel 7 producer David Walters, Bartholomew has developed an appreciation for the Australian media community.
“I think it’s so important to have a mentor and I am so lucky David took me under his wing to coach me through the early years,” she says.
Chatting with Bartholomew, it quickly becomes apparent why she’s been so successful. Whether it be working her way up from Channel 7’s coffee maker to Sunrise reporter or her razor-sharp answers on any topic we talk about, this talented journalist is the epitome of focus, determination and generosity.
“In the stories that I do people open up their lives to you and share their stories and their experience with you, you have such a responsibility to them to do a good job. It can’t all be cat videos,” she jokes. “I mean we do our fair share of cat videos too.”
Kay McGrath and Edwina Bartholomew. Photo: Tim Marsden.
But this South Australian-born reporter didn’t always have her heart set on journalism.
“I was actually considering doing law but during year 12 one of my really good friends had her heart set on doing journalism and did all the research, so I thought ‘Yeah, I’ll go too’. There wasn’t too much thought that went into it to be honest,” Bartholomew laughs.
“I think journalism is the perfect combination of all the things I loved doing at school. I loved drama, English and history. I always had a natural interest and curiosity about the world, which is so so important for the job.”
Since graduating from Charles Sturt University and winning Channel 7’s internship competition, she hasn’t looked back.
“I’m so glad I chose journalism as my path. Being a journalist just opens doors to such incredible opportunities and incredible experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she says.
With a strict 8pm bedtime, regular flights around the country for different stories and her involvement with charity work, it’s difficult to imagine how she even found time to chat with me.
Bartholomew takes to the stage with Channel 7’s Kay McGrath as part of the 2017 Women in Media Conference at Bond University.
Comentarios