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Megan King: Lifelong learner and journalist of all trades
By Shelby Paulgaard
Megan's hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Megan King is on a mission to tell the stories that matter - and MMJC gave her the technical skills she needs to do it.
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Megan King has always been a storyteller, but now she tells her stories on-air for Global News. As a digital broadcast journalist and occasional anchor for Global News Halifax, she spends her days writing, interviewing, filming—and repeating.
Megan loves the spontaneity of broadcast journalism, but the best part for her is being able to confront real issues in her community. During her time in Halifax, Megan has worked predominantly covering housing and homelessness. Her proudest accomplishment as a journalist is that her stories have resulted in people being housed.
“You really feel like you're making a difference,” she says. “You can focus on things that you think need to be addressed and hold the people accountable that you think need to be held accountable.”
Megan graduated from the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program in 2020. The program’s hands-on approach helped prepare her for the fast-paced world of journalism. For example, during production week in second term, when students are expected to work in scenarios that mimic real life, Megan arranged to do a ride-along with the London Police Canine Unit. She then filed a same-day news report that came out of her experience.
Fun Fact
Megan travels to a new country every year. Her goal is to visit every country on earth and collect a souvenir plate from each one to fill her wall.
“I felt like a real journalist, and having experience with some of the equipment was so helpful,” she says. “I knew what to do on the first day of work because the camera I now use every single day is the exact same camera we used in the program.”
Megan has worked in Ontario and Nova Scotia reporting local news, but her heart lies in global issues. In 2020, she started a podcast with an MMJC classmate that explored the ongoing pandemic from every angle. She interviewed scientists and epidemiologists, and eventually transitioned into creating episodes on historic current events like the Black Lives Matter movement and historical unmarked Indigenous graves found across Canada.
“Our podcast really is a slice of history,” Megan says. “It’s a great reflection of what life was like at that time. There was just so much that we didn’t know.”
Post-pandemic, Megan has her sights set on reporting for a wider audience. An avid traveler, she wants to cover international news stories and expand her reach as a journalist.
“Being able to report on issues that affect a global audience would mean the most to me,” she says.
Megan says journalism is the perfect career for her because it lets her try new things. Each day is different, but each day she gets to do something she loves: learn.
“I want to be a lifelong learner, and being able to step foot in a different career every single day is really cool. Today, I learned about gynecology, because that’s who I talked to this morning. Yesterday, I spoke with a police officer,” she says. “Journalism is the career for the people who can’t decide what they want to do because they like learning a bit of everything.”
You might catch Megan on the national news someday soon, but for now, she’s reporting locally and immersing herself in Halifax culture: snacking on ‘storm chips’ at the nearest ‘East Coast Kitchen Party.
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!
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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.
