Jodi Cooke is one of NTV’s most seasoned journalists and perhaps the province’s most dynamic.

She embodies the spirit of NTV News, where versatility and professionalism are paramount. Cooke, who’s been with NTV for over 15 years, is willing to tackle any story, asking tough questions and delivering the product with accuracy and acumen.

Equally comfortable behind the desk as in the field, she perhaps shines brightest on live television. Her poise and comfort in front of a live television audience, as a reporter, is second to none in Newfoundland and Labrador broadcasting – no small task when considering the material she delivers is often technical and complicated.

Cooke also has the unique ability to make viewers feel like they’re listening to a trusted friend. That’s why you’ll see her fronting those “live hits” for national television, covering stories like the recent Royal Visit or major breaking news events that speak to a national audience.

Sunday Evening News

But like so many of her colleagues, Cooke doesn’t take herself too seriously. Yes, she takes her career seriously but is game for any challenge. 

A self-described adrenaline junkie – who has a penchant for adrenaline sports like skiing – it’s no surprise she tackles her journalism career with the same passion and vigor. 

She’s the first to raise her hand for participatory journalism assignments, from training with a search and rescue team to, wait for it, repelling from a helicopter. 

Those assignments, she admits, are among her most fun days at the office. Versatile is a word that best defines Cooke and, well, many of her colleagues.

She’ll file a major story one day and sit in the anchor chair the next. Cooke will anchor Newsday, First Edition and co-anchor The NTV Evening Newshour, and will be back reporting in the field just a day later. That’s the type of virtuosity that separates NTV News from the competition.

She’s not alone. Like Cooke, Amanda Mews has hosted everything from morning news and entertainment checkpoints, from Newsday to First Edition and the Evening Newshour. You can also find her, on occasion, delivering the weather forecast when Eddie Sheerr is out of the office. Did we mention she’s Cooke’s co-host on the The Sunday Evening Newshour?

Mews is also the station’s popular entertainment reporter, has a weekly feature (Backstage Pass) and hosts a weekly half-hour entertainment show. Oh, and is the main reporter for the daily Your Community feature.

Like Cooke and Mews, veteran journalist David Salter has hosted many of the same programs from time to time – news and entertainment checkpoints, Newsday and even First Edition, The Evening Newshour and Sunday on occasions. Salter also hosts his own weekend news program, Eyewitness News.

When he’s not anchoring, Salter is filing top news stories as a general assignment news reporter.

The station’s commitment to news – provincially, nationally and internationally – is what makes it a news leader. The NTV Evening Newshour has been the province’s top newscast for two decades, averaging over 100,000 viewers each night in this province alone. 

In fact, it’s not only the top newscast but is the most-watched program in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are nights, for example, when over 120,000 people in this province are tuning in, astonishing for a province of about 500,000.

“It says a lot about the incredible work this team does,” says Mark Dwyer, NTV’s Director of News and Current Affairs. 

“Hard work, consistency, a commitment to local news and a very talented team of people has earned us the trust of our viewers. We take that responsibility very seriously.”

‘Commitment to news’

NTV’s news team features many of the province’s top journalists. The anchor team is led by veteran broadcasters Toni-Marie Wiseman and Michael Connors, among two of the most trusted names in local news. Wiseman, of course, began her career with NTV over three decades ago. 

“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some great people over the years but, honestly, this team is incredible,” says Wiseman, who also anchors First Edition.

Her co-anchor, Michael Connors, is one of the province’s most trusted journalists. Connors was NTV’s legislative reporter since 2005, replacing Glen Carter at the desk when he retired earlier this year.

“I think our success stems from the Stirling family’s commitment to news,” says Dwyer. “In an era when other networks are looking for ways to cut, we look for growth. I’m very fortunate to be part of a team that works together to tell the stories that matter in this province, and around the world.”

And, of course, no topic is more important to people in this province than the weather and that’s why NTV Chief Meteorologist Eddie Sheerr plays such a pivotal role. No one delivers more detailed, in-depth and expert weather forecasting than Sheerr.

The NTV News brand is demanding. There are morning news checkpoints, a half-hour Newsday newscast at noon (weekdays at noon), not to mention 90 minutes of news from 5:30 to 7 (First Edition and NTV Evening Newshour). There’s The Sunday Evening Newshour, an hour-long broadcast anchored by Jodi Cooke and Amanda Mews

There’s news-driven programs like Issues and Answers (hosted by Michael Connors), Eyewitness News (hosted by David Salter), Week-in-Review (a half-hour recap of the week’s top stories), not to mention a half-hour weekly entertainment show (hosted by Amanda Mews). 

There’s also breaking news programs, everything from the provincial budget to election coverage.

“It’s a challenge to deliver all these programs but it truly shows how much depth we have at NTV,” says Dwyer.

One of NTV News’ secret weapons over the past few decades has been photojournalist Bart Fraize, noted for his work in spot news – from tragedies to rescues. His work has elevated NTV as a breaking news leader. 

Acquiring talent

Speaking about outstanding camera work, NTV has two of the best in Tony Barrington and Glenn Andrews. Barrington recently celebrated his 44th anniversary with the company. Andrews is emerging as one of the province’s top feature editors.

And the team keeps getting better with the acquisition of talent. Beth Penney, the 2018 Geoff Stirling Memorial Scholarship winner, has emerged as one of NTV’s top young journalists. Ben Cleary, who pursued a journalism degree after graduating with a political science degree at MUN, was named Atlantic Canada’s Top New Journalist in 2020. 

Cleary is now NTV’s legislative reporter. Bailey Howard and Marykate O’Neill, both outstanding young journalists, have been key additions to the NTV lineup in recent years.

The latest to join the award-winning newsroom is an award-winning journalist herself, Rosie Mullaley. After over three decades at The Telegram, she made the switch from print just weeks before Carter’s retirement.

Of course, that’s the St. John’s newsroom. Two of the province’s most familiar journalists are outside the overpass – Don Bradshaw and Colleen Lewis, the talented west coast and central correspondents who are fixtures with the NTV news brand.

“I challenge you to find a more talented, dedicated, multi-dimensional team,” says Dwyer, answering his own challenge with: “You simply won’t. This is a team I am so proud to be a part of. And when you factor in people like Sharon Snow, who can deliver the weather forecast, file a Your Community and Places to Go feature, you know you have a star-studded team.”

It’s no secret that NTV News has been number one in the ratings for over two decades. Incredibly, as conventional news audiences decrease throughout much of the world, NTV’s brand continues to grow. 

For a province of about 500,000 people, over 100,000 of them tune into NTV each day at 6 o’clock and just under 90,000 for First Edition at 5:30. Numbers continue to climb each year. The Sunday Evening Newshour also grew its audience with over 50,000 viewers tuning in each weekend.

There’s no secret recipe to NTV’s success over the years but the ingredients are obvious. It takes talent, hard work and leadership. It’s about telling stories and keeping viewers informed, and never has there been an era more important for doing just that.

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. That’s no truer anywhere than it is here at NTV News.” — Glen Carter

That piece of wisdom came from respected anchor Glen Carter during his retirement address to NTV viewers on March 4, 2021.

And while NTV News may have lost its revered conductor that night, the band plays on. And make no mistake it remains a finely-tuned orchestra, positioned to entertain audiences for many years to come.

Despite Carter’s departure, NTV is blessed with some of the province’s most talented and trusted journalists. Carter’s long-time co-anchor, Toni-Marie Wiseman, has been a constant with the station for over three decades and is one of the most identifiable faces in broadcasting. 

Joining her at the anchor desk is friend and colleague Michael Connors, best known for his outstanding work as NTV’s legislative reporter for the past decade.

‘A strong friendship’

“Michael and I have worked closely together for many years (our desks are side by side) and because of that, we’ve developed a strong friendship,” says Wiseman. “We know each other so well that sometimes we can read each other’s minds. It’s been a pretty seamless and effortless transition from working together in the newsroom to anchoring together on the Evening Newshour desk.”

The NTV Evening Newshour, weekdays at 6 p.m., remains not only the province’s top newscast, but is also the most-watched television program in Newfoundland and Labrador. Wiseman, one of Newfoundland and Labrador television’s most iconic personalities, remains at the helm. 

Connors, of course, has won the respect of viewers for his work at NTV and is the perfect choice to fill Carter’s place at the desk. Aside from the flagship supper-hour show, the newsroom generates a host of NTV News programming. There are daily morning news checkpoints, a half-hour Newsday program (weekdays at noon) and the popular NTV News: First Edition (weekdays at 5:30), hosted by Wiseman. There’s also The Sunday Evening Newshour, an hour-long broadcast anchored by Jodi Cooke and Amanda Mews.

In fact, Wiseman’s 5:30 p.m. show, First Edition, is also one of the province’s most-watched programs. “Our commitment to news has never wavered. While our competitors have found ways to reduce local news programming, we continue to grow,” says Mark Dwyer, Director of News and Current Affairs. 

“There’s a real appetite for local news and it’s our mandate to do just that.”

And just like any good orchestra, or team, there’s a host of performers who deliver. “There’s so much versatility and talent in our newsroom. It’s not uncommon for a reporter to leave the field to sit at the anchor desk, from one day to the next,” Dwyer adds. “We are fortunate to have a team of journalists who are very passionate about their work and informing viewers.”

Speaking of versatility, Jodi Cooke, co-host of The Sunday Evening Newshour, is also a regular host of NTV Newsday and is one of the most-seasoned television reporters in the province. 

Cooke is noted for, among many of her attributes, her ability to go live – dissecting information to deliver key news to the audience.

Like Cooke, Amanda Mews has hosted everything from morning news and entertainment checkpoints, to Newsday to First Edition and the Evening Newshour. You can also find her, on occasion, delivering the weather forecast when Eddie Sheerr is out of the office. 

Backstage Pass

Did we mention she’s co-host of The Sunday Evening Newshour, and as the station’s popular entertainment reporter, she has a weekly feature (Backstage Pass) and hosts a weekly half-hour entertainment show. Oh, and is the main reporter for the daily ‘Your Community’ feature.

Like Mews, veteran journalist David Salter has hosted many of the same programs from time to time – news and entertainment checkpoints, Newsday and even First Edition and Sunday on occasions. Salter also hosts his own weekend news program, Eyewitness News. 

When he’s not hosting Salter is filling news stories as a general assignment news reporter.

Ben Cleary is another reporter impacted by Carter’s retirement and he has also stepped up to fill the void. 

With Connors replacing Carter on the anchor desk, Cleary has assumed Connors’ place as the newsroom’s legislative reporter. Cleary, who has political science and journalism degrees, has earned his chops with his excellent coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things. In fact, Cleary was named most promising young journalist at the 2021 Atlantic Journalism Awards.

And perhaps NTV’s secret weapon is assignment editor Bart Fraize, who has been covering the courts and breaking news for many years. Fraize’s work ethic is unrivaled. 

It’s an intangible that separates him from his peers – the willingness to answer every call, good or bad, day or night, rain or shine. And he does so without fanfare, evading praise like it’s a punishment. “I’m just doing my job,” he quips, shrugging his shoulders.

Beth Penney is journalism’s answer to the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ – someone who can be relied upon to fill just about any role in the newsroom, a talented reporter who has the skillset to do so much more – anchor work and feature reporting. You’ll also see her regularly host the ‘Your Community’ feature.

NTV’s New talent

A pair of newcomers to the business, Bailey Howard and Marykate O’Neill, are relatively new additions to the newsroom, but both bring a talent beyond their years – covering all sorts of stories.

And, finally, the most recent hire in the newsroom may be a newcomer to television, but not to journalism. After over three decades at The Telegram, Rosie Mullaley made the switch from print just weeks before Carter’s retirement. 

Of course, that’s the St. John’s newsroom. Two of the province’s most familiar journalists are outside the overpass – Don Bradshaw and Colleen Lewis, the talented west coast and central correspondents who are fixtures with the NTV news brand.

“I challenge you to find a more talented, dedicated, multi-dimensional team,” said Dwyer with admiration and pride. “You simply won’t. This is a team I am so proud to be a part of.”

It’s a go-go business and all these players contribute to the performances viewers see every night. It’s a common scene inside NTV’s fast-paced newsroom as reporters craft their stories and camera operators gear up for the evening’s live hit. 

The production crew, led by Donnie Decker, prepares for the 5:30 and 6 o’clock live shows. It’s hectic, but the team appears in total control, each focused on the task at hand. 

There’s also the usual newsroom banter as reporters share the developments of the day. It’s like a fine-tuned engine. And like Decker, there are others behind the camera you don’t see, camera operators like Tony Barrington and Glenn Andrews, both incredibly talented and veterans of the business. 

Barrington has seen it all in his 43-year career with NTV where he has served in a multitude of roles, including producer, while Andrews is noted for his creativity and excellence as both a shooter and editor.

And while some could argue that his orchestra lost its conductor when Carter retired, it has retained the true mastermind of this excellent news team, news director Dwyer who guides, supports and encourages his staff to reach their full potential.

Dwyer, of course, is known to many as the longest-serving sports reporter in the province’s history, but is also, as Carter pointed out, the glue that holds the team together.

“Our audience is loyal. They depend on us (for information) and we take that responsibility very seriously,” says Dwyer, who’s been leading the station’s newsroom since 2013. “However, our talented team continues to attract new viewers and that’s a result of talent, old-fashioned hard work and commitment.”

It’s no secret that NTV News has been number one in the ratings for over two decades. Incredibly, as conventional news audiences decrease throughout much of the world, NTV’s brand continues to grow. 

For a province of about 500,000 people, over 100,000 of them tune into NTV each day at 6 o’clock and just under 90,000 for First Edition at 5:30. Numbers continue to climb each year. The Sunday Evening Newshour also grew its audience with over 50,000 viewers tuning in each weekend.

There’s no secret recipe to NTV’s success over the years, but the ingredients are obvious. It takes talent, hard work and leadership. 

It’s about telling stories and keeping viewers informed, and never has there been an era more important than doing just that.

WEEKEND NEWSCAST

They’d spend over a decade together, generating solid ratings, before passing the torch to current senior anchor Jodi Cooke. Within the past year, Amanda Mews has joined the anchor desk, forming an anchor team that is taking the show to new heights. 

“It’s not easy putting together a show like this. It takes a real team effort. But it’s rewarding knowing that a large audience tunes into us each weekend to get their news,” says Cooke, who’s been in the anchor chair since 2013.

The supper-hour weekend newscast remains a ratings winner, thanks in large part to its talented anchor team and award-winning journalists. But this show, of course, offers even more community-driven pieces than the weekday brand. Yes, there’s breaking news, like high-angle rescues or the occasional court case, but there’s also the opportunity to cover softer stories like charitable events.

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Cooke and Mews make a formidable team. Cooke has been with the station for 13 years, covering the province’s top news stories while doubling on the anchor desk, while Mews has also been with the station for a decade, climbing the corporate ladder with hard work and pure talent.

We chatted with the talented anchor team about their favorite interviews and, well, reveal some things that might surprise you.

JODI COOKIE

Can you take us on a journey back to your first memory of working at NTV?

My situation arriving at NTV was entirely unique. Prior to my first day at work, I had only been in Newfoundland for a couple of days. My husband grew up in Logy Bay and had wanted to move back home for some time. We had met while I was working at CTV Atlantic as a reporter in Moncton and my husband was training to be a pilot at Moncton Flight College.

Despite the fact my grandfather was a Newfoundlander, he died before I could meet him and the rest of my family moved to Cape Breton. Other than my husband’s family, I didn’t know anyone in the entire province. I was so nervous to start but the NTV team was incredibly welcoming. Toni-Marie , Glen Carter and Mark Dwyer took me under their wing and even invited me out for an evening with friends, right off the hop. I couldn’t believe how kind everyone was. I remember everything like it was yesterday, even though it was over 13 years ago. I remember what I wore my first day of work – a blue button-down top and brown suede blazer. I was so nervous. 

You’ve literally filed thousands of stories throughout your career. What was the toughest story you had to tell?

There are so many tough stories. Still, the one that instantly comes to mind is the Cougar Flight 491 crash. That day is so clear to me. It’s the subsequent days that become a bit of a blur. On the morning of March 12, 2009, I had a headache and popped home to grab some Advil. I was heading home when I received the call for all hands to return to the station. 

As information started piling in, we scrambled. I had friends who had family on that flight. I raced sailboats with two men who were on that flight. It quickly became a lesson for me as a young journalist – how to separate personal emotion and connection from story-telling and fact sharing. Rod Ethridge recently wrote a book titled 18 Souls where in one of the chapters a family recalls realizing the crash was bad when they saw me arrive at the hospital with my camera set up near the helipad. I have the same memory of that day – always feeling like I was in the way, and encroaching on what would ultimately become the worst time in people’s lives. It was hard to share their stories, but it was imperative we did.

This industry affords us an opportunity to interview some incredible people. Tell us about your favourite or some of your most favourite interviews?

Hands down, it was Chris Hadfield. He was so kind to me and answered every single question I asked him, including if he believed in God. I was so interested to talk to an astronaut about what it must be like to feel so small and to see a world below you in an entirely different lens. He answered that question by telling me he knew we weren’t the only ones and that unless you believe in something bigger than yourself – whether God or something else – you’ll never quite appreciate the gift of life and your role in it. He didn’t rush our interview at all. Full disclosure, he is the only interview I’ve asked to take a photo with at the end.

In keeping with this theme, who would be the ultimate interview for you (alive or dead)?

Geoff Stirling. I only met him once. He was kind and gentle. He wore a yellow, velour tracksuit and had yellow lens glasses. I was enamoured. I didn’t grow up knowing the legacy or legend of him the way my husband did, but meeting him once left a lasting impression. I wish I got to know him the way others here at NTV did.

Is there a definitive moment from your childhood that stands out, perhaps even defining you?

Skiing. My parents had no idea that encouraging outdoor sport for my brother and I would eventually take us around the world, be the connection for how we both met our spouses, form our careers (I was an action sports television show host before becoming a journalist) and create the lives we have now. My parents took us skiing and our love for the sport shaped our lives as we know them today.

There are many facets to being an anchor, broadcaster and journalist. What’s one part of the career that most people don’t know?

We always have our cell phones on the news desk. Breaking news is a different business today in the world of social media. We are always ready to receive information and we could be dissecting as it comes in, while we are on the air and bringing it to the viewer within seconds of sourcing it. That happens more often than you may think.

What’s the best piece of advice you can give a new journalist?

Don’t be discouraged. We are in the midst of our very own industrial revolution right now. With the closure of newspapers and sometimes television stations, new journalists are often discouraged from entering the business for fear of not knowing what the future of it looks like. Local news matters and it always will. People will always seek information. Journalists are the trusted ones to deliver it.

Most embarrassing moment of your career?

It wasn’t here, it was at CTV Atlantic and I was covering the Sidney Crosby first round draft pick. I was at his coach’s home watching it in Cole Harbour. As I threw live to my anchor, I said something stupid about how ‘Sid the Kid’ would surely enjoy Philly Cheese Steaks at his new home in PA. I totally gapped and didn’t know what to say. My anchor corrected me and reminded me he was going to Pittsburgh, not Philadelphia. I wanted to disappear.

 The best thing about your co-anchor?

You’ll run out of room on the page. I adore Amanda and I think the viewers can see it. We have worked together for nearly a decade and are friends outside of work. We share wardrobe, wine nights and so many inside jokes. I can’t tell them to you though. She would kill me.

AMANDA MEWS

Can you take us on a journey back to your first memory of working at NTV?

It may not be my first memory of NTV but it was within my first year at the station and it really made me feel like a part of the team.  It was my birthday, I had planned to go home to Birchy Bay that weekend but there was a snowstorm. I was running around doing my job as a production assistant when Toni-Marie corners me. 

Now, I’m also still a little star-struck by Toni at this point. So even though I’m super busy I stop and have a chat. It turns out she was distracting me while a birthday cake was being lit. I rushed into the studio on a mission and the whole crew is there to sing Happy Birthday. I remember just being so surprised and grateful. I hadn’t seen anyone receive a birthday cake at work before.   Sounds trivial but it’s a testament to the amazing camaraderie I’ve experienced at NTV since the beginning. We’re like a family.

 You’ve literally filed thousands of stories throughout your career. What was the toughest story?

So far my specialty has been entertainment reporting and human interest features, something that often shelters me from the tough, gut-wrenching stories that I’ve watched my colleagues bravely tackle. At least twice a year I speak with the parents of Riley and Alex Mercer of Conception Bay South about fundraisers they set up in memory of their children. It doesn’t get easier. My heart just breaks for them every time. 

This industry affords us an opportunity to interview some incredible people. Tell us about your favorite or some of your most favourite interviews.

The obvious answer here is Jimmy Kimmel.  He is by far the biggest celebrity I’ve ever interviewed. Securing that interview reassured me of my abilities and was a real practice of staying calm under pressure. Another one of my favorite interviews was with local visual artist Clifford George, who has been exhibiting in galleries for decades. We met at the Christina Parker Gallery where he was exhibiting.  He told stories and read me poems that inspired him. I could have sat and chatted with him for hours. Not long after that interview, I received a package from Clifford that contained a handwritten note, the book of poetry he was reading, and a signed sketch of the poet.  It was the most meaningful gift I have ever received.

In keeping with this theme, who would be the ultimate interview for you?

Betty White. I think she would be an amazing person to talk to. The woman has been on television for 80 years.  She is a pioneer. Did you know that she had full creative control of her own sitcom when she was just 28? That was in the1950s. How cool is that? And she’s still going.

Is there a definitive moment from your childhood that stands out, perhaps even defining you?

I was always a very theatrical child. When we lived in Postville, Labrador, my parents would record videos of my sister and I to send to our grandparents in the mail. Before the days of iPhones. In one of the videos, when I was about three or four years old, I pretended to be a reporter. I remember sitting down in a wingback chair, cross-legged, saying I was reporting for the local news and my next guest was my “beautiest” sister. I’m not sure if that was a defining moment but looking back on it, it’s a funny foreshadowing.

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There are many facets to being an anchor, broadcaster and journalist. What’s one part of the career that most people don’t know?

You have to love it to enjoy it. I think you have to have a genuine interest of what’s happening in the world because your day doesn’t end when the work day does. In order to stay up to date on the latest local and international news, there has to be an interest outside of the 9 to 5.

What’s the best piece of advice you can give a new journalist?

Don’t stop learning. It sounds cliché but this industry is ever-changing and you need to move with it. Learn everything you can about the latest technology and keep up on social media. I need to take my own advice on this one but it’s true.

Most embarassing moment of your career?

When interviewing the chef de mission for the Summer Olympics, I asked him (Curt Harnett) what it was like cooking for Olympic athletes. Turns out a chef de mission has nothing to do with food.  They actually “manage” the team.

Tell us the best thing about your co-anchor?

She is passionate, hard-working, quick-thinking, fair, and hilarious. I’ve admired Jodi since I started with NTV News in 2009 and she took me on my very first shoot while I was an intern. We went to a Needs store and shot video of lottery tickets. But the best thing would have to be her sense of humor. I think our friendship outside of work has created the chemistry we have on the anchor desk. 

She’s perhaps NTV’s most versatile journalist. That’s a profound statement when you consider the station’s talented news team features a host of multi-talented broadcasters –award-winning reporters who, when not in the field, are bringing viewers the latest news from the anchor desk.

Amanda Mews, 33, is incredibly bright, analytical, resourceful and inquisitive – all key characteristics that have helped elevate her career over the past decade.

“She’s dynamic and her skills are endless,” says Mark Dwyer, NTV’s Director of News and Current Affairs. “Amanda is a huge part of NTV’s success and our viewers absolutely love her.”

AN AMBITIOUS REPORTER

Much has changed since Mews arrived at NTV as an ambitious intern in the spring of 2009. She quickly carved out a niche by learning the latest computer software, troubleshooting technical problems for reporters, and becoming administrator for NTV’s teleprompter, script and video system. She took video feeds from reporters all over the island and, most importantly, earned the respect of her peers in the news room.  “She worked very hard and made a great impression on me,” recalls Lynn Burry, who has mentored the MUN graduate since those early days. “She’s worked very hard.”

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Mews’ career would evolve. She would quickly become production assistant for NTV News: First Edition, embracing the role of, as she calls it, Glen Carter’s ‘right-hand woman’. She’d pitch stories, download national and international content and, in essence, apply her fingertips into all aspects of the popular half-hour show. 

“She was a pro and I think we all knew Amanda was destined for bigger and better things,” says Carter, who has anchored news programs all over the country, including the last 13 years at NTV.

Despite her talent behind the scenes, Mews would find herself staring into the camera in 2011 – first hosting the Herald Minute and later Entertainment Checkpoints. It was there, from the anchor desk, where viewers learned what her NTV colleagues already knew – she was a natural.

“The transition to on-air role was a gradual one. I love a challenge and, well, it’s such an exciting career,” says Mews. “I’ve embraced each opportunity and am so thankful that people believed in me.”

BACKSTAGE PASS

Her big break, though, came in the spring of 2013. Toni-Marie Wiseman was transitioning from weather presenter to anchor of First Edition, creating a major void. Wiseman, of course, had also spent two decades as the station’s beloved entertainment reporter, winning a handful of music industry awards as the province’s media person of the year. Wiseman’s promotion would create a rare opportunity, an opening for entertainment reporter for the province’s top newscast. “As someone who grew up in the arts, this was a dream come true,” says Mews, who has since featured many of the province’s top entertainers, from musicians and actors to authors and athletes.

Her weekly feature Backstage Pass, which celebrates the best in local entertainment, is one of the station’s most popular features. She also anchors NTV Entertainment News, a half-hour program that airs on Saturdays, and her ‘Your Community’ daily feature perfectly captures Mews’ personality.  

She can front a hard-news segment on a Monday, for example, and skate with Olympic medalist Kaetlyn Osmond the following day. Her warm, aw shucks personality resonates with the audience. “She’s a very genuine person and that shines through,” says Burry, awarded a lifetime achievement award at last year’s Atlantic Journalism Awards.

Along with Lynn Burry, Toni-Marie Wiseman has also been a major influence on her career. “She has been a wealth of knowledge and has always had my back,” says Mews. “She was one of the encouraging voices, giving me confidence to pursue a co-hosting opportunity when I felt like I wasn’t good enough.”

Well, Amanda Mews has a secret. She has earned yet another new opportunity as co-anchor of The Sunday Evening Newshour, sitting alongside friend and colleague Jodi Cooke.

“I’m delighted. She’s the perfect choice,” says Cooke, senior anchor of the Sunday program for the past decade. “Amanda takes great pride in everything she does and it’s a pleasure working with her.”

And, don’t worry, her role as entertainment reporter remains intact. She’ll continue to profile the movers and shakers of the entertainment world, locally and nationally, and you’ll continue to see her daily on NTV with her ‘Your Community’ feature. “This is a step in the right direction for my career and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” says Mews. “I still get to do all the others things I love and grow my career at the same time. It’s right where I want to be.”

Mews is as authentic as the rural towns where she grew up. She spent the first nine years of her life in the tiny northern Labrador town of Postville, embracing its natural beauty and culture. She’d leave the big land after primary school and spend the rest of her childhood in picturesque Birchy Bay, the small community clinging to the edge of Notre Dame Bay. Living in those tranquil, remote towns proved defining.

THE BIGGEST IMPACT

“One of the beautiful things about small towns is the transfer of knowledge,” she says. “I grew up listening to stories, music, and going to see “skits” at the town hall. I was always surrounded by stories.”

But the story that had the biggest impact on her young life would come on that harrowing Sept. 11 morning in 2001. Mews was a Grade 10 student at Lewisporte Collegiate when the world changed. Almost 3,000 people died that day in the worst terrorist attack on America, and numerous passengers were diverted to this province – some to Mews’ school.

“We had stranded passengers in our gymnasium for days. Students all brought toiletries and whatever they could to assist,” she recalls. “Those days really opened my eyes to the world outside my own, how connected we all are.”

Empathy, compassion and honesty are all essential components to making a connection with an audience, and it’s exactly what Mews brings to NTV’s viewers each and every day. Yes, much has changed since that work term a decade ago. She’s literally done it all – from coordinating resources for a provincial election, to floor directing the Janeway Telethon, to interviewing international stars. And perhaps her most endearing quality is the fact she welcomes each assignment with humility and grace.

Her promotion is merely the latest chapter in the professional evolution of Amanda Mews.