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From Journalist to Communication Coordinator, MMJC Set Robin De Angelis Up for Success
Robin's hometown: Sudbury, Ontario
Robin De Angelis, MLIS'17, has worked to shine light on local matters as a journalist and communicator.
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From accessible beaver habitats to major municipal issues, Robin De Angelis knows how to tell stories at the heart of a community.
Over the past three years, she has worked all across southwestern Ontario in both journalism and communications. For Robin, the skills she needed to propel her career were developed during her time in Western’s Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program.
Robin studied Media Studies and English for her undergraduate degree. During this time, she never thought she would pursue journalism as a career. However, shortly into her time with the MMJC, offered through the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, she found herself drawn to the craft. Professors and working journalists like Paul Benedetti and Amanda Margison introduced her to a new style of writing and showcased the intriguing aspects of storytelling.
Western’s master's-level journalism and communications program also gave her a small, tight-knit community that allowed her to learn from peers and create meaningful work in newsroom-like settings from the start.
Fun Fact
Her favourite thing in the world is her cat, Mitzi.
When it came time to choose an internship, Robin knew she wanted to work at CBC Sudbury. Working at her hometown station allowed her to bring her new-found skills and long-standing passion to a community she loved.
“I was passionate about local journalism when I came into the program. I knew going into an internship that I didn’t want to work in a big city; I wanted to work in smaller communities because small, local journalism is really important to me.”
Her internship in Sudbury allowed her to take on various roles in the newsroom, which helped to hone her skills to take on any storytelling role. After her time in Sudbury, Robin took a leap and moved to Woodstock. While bouncing between CBC Kitchener-Waterloo and CBC London, it was evident that the skills she learned in the MMJC and her internship with CBC Sudbury helped her thrive.
Robin’s ability to adapt was even noticed by producers in newsrooms. She recalls receiving comments like, “You come to the community and you’re not a local, but you pitch stories like a local.”
Robin now works as the Cultural Communications Coordinator for the Woodstock Art Gallery and Woodstock Museum National Historic Site.
“I’m learning a lot of different things that still have a foundation in what I learned in the [MMJC] program and what I learned in journalism.”
While her current work is different from her previous roles, Robin is still telling stories on the local level, but from a different perspective: “I’ve really recognized how important that is—actually getting to do the work in the community instead of just report on it. Seeing everything from a different perspective has been exciting.”
The MMJC program has allowed many students to launch successful careers in journalism, communications, marketing and other media-focused industries. If you’re interested in starting your media career, apply to Western’s MMJC program to Start Your Story!
Profiles in the Start Your Story blog are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.
