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Dream Job

Learning: Primary

Factual: Life Stories

Some people who love their work, and want to tell you all about it.

Dream Job: Series 1: BBC News correspondent James Cook

Bryan Burnett and James Cook

BBC News correspondent James Cook

Series 1

BBC Scotland - Dream Job, Series 1, BBC News correspondent James Cook

James Cook talks to Bryan Burnett about journalism and his career as a news reporter.

From an early age, James Cook wanted to be a journalist. His career began on local radio, reading the news at age 15 and has since led him from Scotland to California.

Before his move to California in late 2015, former BBC Scotland correspondent James Cook spoke to Bryan Burnett about his career as a journalist and the art of ‘telling a story’ on radio and TV.

In a revealing conversation they discuss topics as diverse as the impact of social media on news reporting, why journalism can be ‘the job that never sleeps’ and why you sometimes have to be brave to ask a question.

Against advice at the time, James Cook chose not to go to university but left school early at 17 to work as a journalist. He was trained on the job by people who knew how to ‘get it right’ and build trust with those listening to the stories he wrote.

In his time as Scotland correspondent for BBC News, James reported on major news stories such as the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, the Edinburgh Zoo pandas, Scottish politics and a variety of severe weather stories. 

He was one of the first reporters on the scene of the helicopter crash at the Clutha Bar in Glasgow and speaks movingly of the need to 'freeze things out' to tell your story, but also the effect this can later have on the reporter. 

Not only do James and Bryan look back on his career in Scotland, they hear the questions some of Scotland’s schoolchildren would put to famous people. James also speculates on earthquakes, technology and the growing of food, all of which could be key issues for him in California.

Whether journalism requires feeding a panda or making yourself heard in a media scrum, in the view of James Cook, it comes back to a 'really simple thing – it’s about storytelling'. Telling those stories is still his dream job.

Dream Job: Series 1

BBC Scotland

A BBC TV channel for Scotland which will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland

Bryan Burnett meets people who have achieved their dream job.

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Dream Job

Series 1

BBC News correspondent James Cook

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