Michael Stittle

Michael Stittle (external link) , ‘06, is a CTVNews.ca Digital Content Producer and host of CTV’s Trend Line podcast.

What did you originally see yourself doing when you first enrolled in journalism school?

I thought I’d end up as a print reporter – that was always my goal, and I did a six-week internship at The Kingston Whig-Standard that really pushed me. But when I graduated, there was a lot of doom and gloom about the newspaper industry as readers migrated online. I took a chance by joining CTVNews.ca.

What are some memorable moments you’ve had since graduating and how did you arrive at your current position?

Even though I’ve always been based in our [CTV] Toronto newsroom, I’ve been able to help cover federal elections and interview people like the late Jack Layton. Eventually, I became the evening producer for CTVNews.ca, working in conjunction with the CTV National News team. In the past few years, CTV News took a chance on a podcast about polling (external link)  that I host with Nik Nanos of Nanos Research. And in the last year, I became the producer for our online video team.

How has your journalism degree and what you learned in school prepared you for your current career?

The best thing it prepared me for was getting out of my comfort zone and asking questions to total strangers. That didn’t come naturally.

What advice would you give to current journalism students?

Rather than focus on hand-wringing over how the industry will survive, know that we’ll always need good journalism. Look to where people are doing innovative stuff, and find something that excites you.

Where do you see yourself and your career heading in the future?

I have no idea. I never thought I’d have a podcast with Nik Nanos, yet here I am. Who knows? 

Grads at Work is a series of profiles of alums. If you know of a notable grad you’d like to see featured, send us an email at office.journalism@torontomu.ca.