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COLUMN: Working as a reporter a dream job for Orillia native

Tyler Evans got his start in the media industry at just 15-years-old, now at 24, he serves OrilliaMatters as a full-time reporter

Growing up I made weekly sports talk shows on YouTube and published my own news flyers for everyone on my street. Working in the media industry was something I wanted to do my whole life.

In 2012, at just 15-years-old, I officially started my journey in the industry by joining The Orillia Packet & Times as a co-op student while attending Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. I learned the basics of journalism and the ins and outs of the newspaper business. The atmosphere of a newsroom and the responsibility of telling a community its news hooked me into believing this was the right industry for me.  

In 2015, I went off to post-secondary school in Oshawa where I took the broadcasting program at Durham College. I was able to host a radio show with some of my classmates, learned how to shoot and edit videos at a professional level, and gained a lot of confidence in my ability to succeed in today’s media landscape.

Going into college my goal was always to work in the big city with a major broadcasting company. However, moving away from home showed me how much I love the City of Orillia and how much I value my small-town community. After graduating with honours in 2017, I decided to take a chance, leave my childhood dreams behind, and move back to the place I have called home for the majority of my life.

The biggest risk of moving back home to Orillia as a media graduate was the fact that there was seemingly no opportunity to work in the industry, as an abrupt closure put The Packet & Times out of business. That was until Jan. 8, 2018, the launch of OrilliaMatters.

The staff that showed me the ropes at The Packet & Times fought to bring local daily news back to Orillia, which gave me an opportunity to offer my newly developed skills in video producing. I was quickly brought onto the team in a part-time role and began creating video content and covering various local sporting events as a reporter.

In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything for a lot of people, myself included. Stay-at-home orders were seemingly going to leave me out of work; shooting and producing local videos was no longer possible. Local arenas, fields, and courts remained empty as local sports were put on hold.

Instead of laying me off, OrilliaMatters staff offered me an opportunity to transition from a video producer to a full-time reporter, even though writing was not my strongest skill. I didn’t see it as an ideal situation at the time, but I was just happy to be offered continued employment during the uncertain times of living in a pandemic.

Within just days of working as a reporter, I developed a passion for covering local news. There is something special about connecting with the community in the way that a reporter does.

It’s a true privilege to get to know the story behind locally owned businesses and the people who run them and then sharing that story with the community. It’s a lot of fun getting to know the people who run our local governments, clubs, and sports leagues. Above my passion for the industry, my passion and love for Orillia quickly grew even more.

Through this job I’ve learned how important local news can be to a community. While I don’t report on things as meaningful to the world as the Olympics, writing a story on a local high school basketball player who made the game-winning shot can mean the world to a teenager, his or her family, and a small community like Orillia. It’s a real honour to share those types of stories that happen here in our community.

Three weeks ago I was offered full-time employment with OrilliaMatters, and without zero consideration or conversation with my family, I agreed.

As a 24-year-old, working as a reporter in the City of Orillia is something I see myself doing now for the rest of my life. I want to continue to get to know this city and the people who live here, and I want to continue to share stories that are important to everyone who calls Orillia home.

I’m forever grateful to the staff at OrilliaMatters and this community for believing in me, trusting me, and giving me the opportunity to serve our city as a reporter.


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Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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