Most of us are familiar with the face of the TV reporter of Nova TV Mario Jurič. However, not many know that Mario studied at the University of Dubrovnik on our undergraduate programme of Media and Social Culture as well as on our graduate programme of Media. We are very proud that Mario decided to brush up on his knowledge and skills at our University!
‘For more than seven years now I have been working as a reporter at the most viewed TV channel in Croatia – Nova TV. I am a reporter for the city of Split and for the Split-Dalmatia County.
I enrolled on the programme of Media and Social Culture out of curiosity and because I wanted to become a member of the ‘Fourth Estate’. Now I cherish each and every day I spent at the University because I am fully aware that I have really learnt a lot. Although I did not know it during my time at the University, now I find everything that we were taught at the University very useful. When I am at my journalistic assignment and I need to interview somebody or I need to write a piece of news, I always remember it. All of the workshops that we had – TV, radio and journalistic reporting – helped me immensely as did the teaching about protocol, politics and PR. Namely, all of it is now part of my daily job, and I cannot think of a better place to learn this than in Dubrovnik. Journalism is my true calling and, having in mind the City’s beauty and everything the City can offer to a student, I am sure that this was a winning combination for me.
The biggest challenge in my job is – time. I feel I am always racing against time – we need to be at a location and make a recording of an event at a certain hour, TV news shows are scheduled to start at a certain hour, and the duration of the TV report itself is limited in time. I dare say that spending a day on a TV channel is the biggest challenge a journalist can experience. In the times of extraordinary circumstances it is critical to go out on the assignment as soon as possible and present the most accurate and clear view about the enfolding events to our viewers. In these situations a journalist is caught in a whirlwind of both information and misinformation. Everything needs to be checked and verified, and only the relevant and accurate pieces of information must be used and presented to our viewers. When it comes to the content of our news, no day is the same. It can thus happen that one day I do a report about a fire that broke out in the city of Trogir, and on the next day I need to accompany Prime Minister Plenković in the city of Makarska. A TV reporter is always out in the field – come rain or shine, gusts of strong wind or blazing hot weather. News occurs out in the field and this is where we need to be, and where we need to check it and report it to our viewers.
My message to all future students is – do not be afraid to investigate and ask questions. Always try to learn as much as you can. The times we live in are very challenging, but high-quality and bold journalists can always find work – and I am convinced about that!’
Mario Jurič, Master in Public Relations
TV reporter, Nova TV
