Shannon Molloy is a senior reporter and currently the News Editor (Acting) at news.com.au. He is also a published author; his memoir Fourteen was released earlier this year.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I got my start as a journalist about 15 years ago after graduating from uni, beginning in digital media as a breaking news reporter but also having a crack at property and entertainment reporting.
I’ve worked in print and publishing, for property and finance magazines, national newspapers and online news sites.
I also had a break from media partway through my career and went to the ‘dark side’ to work in public relations and politics, very briefly.
These days I’m a senior reporter at news.com.au but am on a 12-month secondment as acting news editor.
I’ve also just released my first book, Fourteen, which is a memoir about growing up in regional Queensland at the turn of the century, figuring out who I am at an all-boys, NRL mad Catholic school.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
It’s a cliché, but no two are the same.
I begin my day at 6am by working with the news desk and reporters to cover news and big issues, from breaking incidents as they happen to politics, crime, human interest, world affairs… and, of course, it’s been a lot of coronavirus coverage lately.
News editing is extremely fast-paced, demanding, exhilarating and rewarding. I still get to write a bit too, which is good.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
COVID-19 has totally changed the whole working from home idea. It’s tricky to accommodate in a newsroom, which are dynamic and frenzied places that rely on instant collaboration and communication, but we’ve made it work.
Half of us are back in the office physically, which I love, but some are still working remotely. And I have the flexibility to do so too if I want to.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I absolutely love my job and so I’ve never minded working a lot. It gives me my purpose and passion. But as I get older, I find balance more important too.
Work-life balance for me is spending lots of time with my husband and my friends, taking time to enjoy the big and small things in life, from baking to planning a trip (pre-COVID), and resting.
I’m also trying to do more activities that fulfil me, like writing outside of work and reading.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I’m trying to check emails less outside of work but it’s not going very well. I’m also trying to nap less so my sleep patterns can become healthier and I can feel more rested.
I’ve tried to do mindfulness exercises too via meditation and reflection sessions on a few different apps. It’s a nice way to decompress after a bit of a day.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I love the Ted Talks podcast, which is a kind of ‘best hits’ compilation of presentations from over the years.
They’re inspiring and informative and interesting. I like to seek out ones that would ordinarily not interest me at all – like sport or something – so I can learn something new.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
Does beer count?
When I get into bed, I switch my phone to sleep mode so the blue light on the screen is removed and then look at funny memes, cat pictures and stupid videos on a sharing community app called Imgur.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Jacinda Ardern. The sheer number of national tragedies and challenges she has guided New Zealand through, on top of sweeping reforms, while having a baby, is remarkable. How on earth has she not gone totally mad?
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Never be afraid to ask for help when you feel overwhelmed. EVERYONE has felt that and knows what it’s like.
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