Cathal Dowd
"It allows you to do what you want and challenge yourself."
Shortly after completing DCU’s BA in Journalism, Cathal Dowd landed a high-profile role on RTÉ TV presenting News2Day, the popular daily news programme for children.
Speaking shortly after wrapping the day’s programme, he reflects that, less than six weeks into the role, he’s still adjusting to the pace of the job.
From day one, he was sent out to report on stories but he’s now getting into his stride. “It's really fun. They're busy days and that’s something that you just have to get used to.”
Growing up in Wexford Town, Journalism was always a career Cathal wanted to pursue.
Cathal was confident in his writing skills but the DCU BA in Journalism opened his eyes to the wider world of news media and the technical aspects that go into modern journalism.
With modules covering radio, TV, editing, and camera work, Cathal found that “it's not just about the words on the page.”
“You're jumping into a couple of mediums,” says Cathal. “It's what the world of media is nowadays.”
Cathal says the lecturers expected students to take the initiative and interpret assignments in their own way. “It's just open-ended, which is great, because it allows you to do what you want and challenge yourself as much as you want.”
“And it really does cover a lot of bases, and it gives you a good foundation to go out and do what you want to do.”
Cathal gives the example of an assignment in which students had to produce a short TV report on any subject they liked. The topics his classmates covered ranged from Arts and Culture to Sport. Cathal decided to focus on a local news story in Howth, interviewing local people about a water quality issue in the area.
Hands-on assignments like this were “very tough and also very, very rewarding,” says Cathal.
Work placements in media organisations are another key element of the course. Cathal worked in contrasting environments during his two placements, one in the Department of Housing Press Office and the other as a sports reporter for WLR radio in Waterford.
Playing with the DCU Soccer Club was another big element of Cathal’s experience.
“I lost 3 finals in my last 2 years with DCU, so I feel I was a bit of a bad luck charm,” laughs Cathal. Despite this, the friendships and experiences provided “some of the best memories I have” of University life.
Today, Cathal is putting the skills and experience he gained at DCU to good use in RTÉ’s News2Day, where he works closely with co-presenter and fellow DCU graduate Florence Okojie.
When out reporting, Cathal directly engages with the young News2Day viewers and says this generation is knowledgeable and opinionated on a whole range of topics.
He says it is important not to patronise the audience, and points out that some children he interviews “know more about some subjects than I do!”
Cathal has found that producing a news programme for children brings unique considerations, where the team’s reporting has to strike a balance between being informative and age-appropriate.
He gives the Gaza conflict as a story that needs to be explained to a young audience, without being too graphic. “You have to be careful that you're not pointing towards something that is going to be more harm than good.”
Ultimately, the “aim is to help kids enjoy news” and stay informed.