A Day in the Life: Sarah Smith
Edinburgh-born Sarah Smith has been announced as the BBC News North America Editor and will be based in Washington from the new year. The former Scotland Editor, whose career in television and radio has seen her cover some of the most important news stories of our time, shared with Hood how a typical working day looks for the biggest name in Scottish news broadcasting.
I set my alarm for…
As late as possible. Which, in reality, isn’t all that late—3am when I am presenting the Radio 4 Today programme. On the days I’m not, it goes off at 7am in the hope it’ll spur me to get to the gym.
My morning routine is…
In an ideal world, it would start with a gym session, followed by a healthy omelette, and a walk to work. Often, however, it involves reading the papers in bed with a cup of tea, and then running late...
I got my job by…
Being very enthusiastic about wanting to report what was really going in Scotland to a UK audience. Oh, and already having 20 years of TV reporting experience under my belt probably didn’t hurt, either.
My typical day...
I wish I had one! It could be a relatively quiet day in the office. Or sometimes, it can involve standing in the rain appearing live on the news at 10pm. Really, it’s anyone’s guess what I’ll be up to.
My most memorable working day…
Standing in a stadium in Chicago in 2008 watching Barack Obama win the presidential election. The atmosphere was the definition of electric.
Moment I feel most proud of…
I spent 10 days in Haiti after the tragic earthquake that ravaged the country in 2010. It was a harrowing experience but one that allowed me to produce work I was truly proud of, and that mattered on a global scale.
Best part of my job…
Is it’s endless variety.
Worst part of my job…
The unpredictability—you need to give in to not being able to control any given situation.
After work you’ll find me…
Practising yoga or drinking a gin, depending on the day I’ve had.
My bedtime routine…
Listening to podcasts until I drift off to sleep. They help me take my mind off of the day’s stresses or responsibilities. If you struggle with getting to sleep, I recommend trying it.