Wearing different news hats every day

Michelline Nawatises
Michelline Nawatises

David Bishop was born in Oranjemund and grew up in Windhoek. He obtained a BCom degree from Rhodes University where he is also currently enrolled for a postgraduate diploma in media management. “I have worked in radio practically my whole adult life and after many years as a DJ, among other things, I am now the broadcast editor at Future Media News,” he says.

As the broadcast editor he is responsible for all things related to the news department, be that strategy, training, the sound and feel of their bulletins, or representing the department - and at times the company as a whole - at meetings with stakeholders, government, and other role-players in the industry. But, at the same time, he is still a news presenter and therefore needs to be able to switch between his different ‘hats’ as the day goes on.

His day starts at 04:00 with a strong cup of coffee while I begin work on writing and compiling the morning news for three of the stations in the Future Media portfolio. “Bulletins are prepared and recorded throughout the morning, alongside other tasks such as the daily ‘Corona Watch’ feature and working with the team on ideas for stories and deciding which leads we should chase,” Bishop adds.

Working in radio provides many opportunities, especially in terms of access - as such, he can count among his accomplishments many interviews he conducted with celebrities, business leaders, and people in power. But it also allows for exposure and he will always remember fondly the storm he caused by posing the question: “Should the day the ‘Brangelina’ baby is born be declared a public holiday in Namibia?”. This tongue-in-cheek moment led to interviews on the BBC, CNN, various radio stations across the world, and even MTV Canada.

His days in radio are far from over and he is looking forward to helping the Future Media News brand and offering to grow over the foreseeable future while training the journalists and presenters who will soon take over from me to become ‘the voice of news in Namibia’.