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.

We are living in an extraordinary time, an era defined by anxious uncertainty. The coronavirus pandemic has transformed, and disrupted, journalism. It is an unprecedented news story, the biggest of this generation. The relentless news cycle fused by an ‘infodemic’ of misinformation.

The world has changed in just two years. The pandemic has delivered a devastating loss of life, almost six million deaths around the world by early February. The economic and social disruption is unconscionable. It has changed how we learn, work and interact as social distancing guidelines have led to a virtual existence. You’ve all seen the impact. A masked society, empty classrooms and shuttered offices.

Since pandemic shutdowns almost two years ago, reporters, like Ben Cleary, have adjusted to filing stories each night, shifting from his NTV desk on Logy Bay Road to a home office. The traditional in-person interviews have been replaced by Zoom or FaceTime and, incredibly, he voice-tracks his stories under a blanket – turning his closet into a recording studio.

Cleary’s home was transformed into a news bureau – the third time he and others have been displaced to social distance. “We’ve all had to make adjustments and, to be honest, it’s a small sacrifice to do my part,” says the talented 26-year-old.  

Baptism by Fire

It’s been a whirlwind since Cleary arrived at NTV in May of 2019, less than a year before the novel coronavirus reached our shores. It was a baptism by fire. Armed with a political science degree from MUN and a journalism degree from King’s College – and a pedigree from his award-winning journalist dad, Ryan Cleary – he was ready.

Filing stories on everything from politics to social issues, from breaking news to historical features, the St. John’s native has established himself as one of the industry’s top young journalists.  He has reported on provincial budgets and elections, the winter storm of the century in 2020 and, in recent years, the many aspects of the COVID pandemic.

“Ben brings so much versatility to the newsroom,” says Mark Dwyer, NTV’s Director of News and Current Affairs. 

“He’s also a natural storyteller, very dedicated to his career and a true team player. We are so lucky to have him on our team.”

His feature work is outstanding. Hard news, the primary focus for many reporters, is hard-hitting and pragmatic. Feature stories require storytelling ability. “He’s one of the best I’ve seen in a long time,” says veteran anchor Glen Carter. “He understands the fundamentals of good story-telling for television. Especially the stories that require a lot of heart,” Carter adds. “Compassion and honesty, too.”

Admired & Respected

Cleary’s recent feature marking the 80th anniversary of the Knights of Columbus hostel fire was outstanding work and a case in point. 

The 1942 fire killed 80 military personnel and 19 civilians. Cleary’s grandmother’s uncle, Derm Duggan, was a 16-year-old drummer playing in the band that night and lived to tell the story. “That’s the compassion and honesty I was talking about,” says Carter.

Compassion comes naturally for Cleary, a thoughtful journalist who takes pride in bringing fairness and honesty to his reports. His passion for journalism comes through in his enthusiastic reporting style – his best work often in stories that feature his adept storytelling ability. If he wasn’t a journalist Cleary could easily be at home working in a museum or teaching history. 

He has a special place in his heart for this province’s unique history and culture – particularly the battles fought over the years by brave Newfoundland soldiers. Remembrance Day. Memorial Day. Cleary is often the first to raise his hand to pay tribute to heroes, past and present.

Award-winning News

Cleary is authentic. That compassion, some might say sensitivity, is part of his fabric. It’s one of the traits that makes him so admired and respected by his colleagues in the NTV newsroom. He’s always willing to help fellow reporters or accept any task or assignment.  And he has a dry wit and clever sense of humor.

NTV viewers have watched this young journalist blossom into one of its top reporters, leading the supper-hour broadcast almost daily with COVID-19 updates since the New Year. The evolution of Cleary’s journalism chops has not gone unnoticed. He’s getting attention throughout Atlantic Canada and has done a handful of national news hits. In 2020, he was named Atlantic Canada’s top new journalist by the AJA.

“So well deserved,” says Dwyer. “NTV has a long history of award-winning journalists and Ben’s future certainly looks bright.”

A career in the media seemed inevitable. His dad, Ryan, spent decades as one of the province’s top reporters, winning numerous awards with The Telegram and, later, The Independent.

‘The Right Path’

“I’ve always been interested in journalism; it seemed like the right path for me,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Cleary is also ready for the next challenge. With Glen Carter retiring from the anchor desk in early March, veteran legislative reporter Michael Connors will be filling his seat. Cleary will be tasked to help fill Connors’ void at the House of Assembly. Politics is a passion. He earned a poli-sci degree at Memorial and, by his own admission, sees politics as theatre in this province.

“You’ll find few provinces in Canada who care about politics more than we do,” he says. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity. It’s an honor to work for a station I grew up admiring. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

This week, it’s wellness Gill Whelan style, Hockey Hall-of-Famer Danielle Goyette makes ECHL history with the NL Growlers, in conversation with Ben Cleary, one of Atlantic Canada’s top journalist, and learn about the art of unpolished living in Grates Cove!

Ben Cleary grew up in the news business, sometimes puttering around the newsroom as his dad stared down a deadline. It was a life he was introduced to early – learning the significance of local news, how the movers and shakers of this province dictate the conversation and, more importantly, how journalists can pull up a front-row seat to watch the biggest events unfold.

Still in diapers, he hugged his dad as he headed off on the election trail in the late 1990s. His dad, Ryan, was The Telegram’s legislative reporter in 1999 and riding the Liberal bus as premier Brian Tobin was re-elected with a majority government that year. Just days after the election, Tobin, a former journalist himself at NTV in the late ‘70s, actually penned a message to a two-year-old Ben to explain his dad’s absence.

“Dear Ben, when you are older you will realize that only the politics of Newfoundland and Labrador would keep your dad away for a few weeks,” he wrote, concluding with an apology.

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Yours truly … Sharon Snow

BAPTISM BY FIRE

Well, two decades later, and fresh out of journalism school, Ben would understand exactly what Tobin meant – joining NTV’s award-winning team on election night 2019. He was tasked to cover the Mount Pearl-Southlands race, realizing that independent Paul Lane’s re-election could have a major impact on government. “It was so exciting, something I have been working so hard for,” says Cleary.

Cleary, 23, graduated from Memorial University with a political science degree in 2017 before heading off to King’s College in Halifax where he graduated with a journalism degree in May. Growing up watching NTV, he pursued a work-term with the province’s top newscast and spent several weeks shadowing journalists – from the legislature with Michael Connors to provincial court with Bart Fraize.

“You can really see Ben’s passion for the business,” says Mark Dwyer, NTV’s Director of News and Current Affairs. “He’s a talented young journalist and a great addition to our team.”

JOURNALISTIC STYLE

It’s an industry Cleary knows well. Ryan won numerous awards for his work with the province’s daily before landing roles as an editor with The Newfoundland Herald and editor-in-chief of The Independent. 

He’d spend four years answering questions from the media as a federal MP before losing his seat in 2015. He’d spend time hosting VOCM’s Nightline before his latest mission as head of Fish-NL.

Although he admires his dad’s work, and journalistic style, Ben is charting his own course. “The journalist he was isn’t necessarily the journalist I’m going to be. I was raised to be my own person, and I’m thankful for that,” he said. “I’m not quite as controversial as my dad. I’ll tell a story that needs to be told, but I don’t know if I’ll do it the same way my dad did.”

Cleary, born and raised in St. John’s, has wasted little time dipping his toes into the frigid waters that is television journalism. He’s covered a host of stories in just several weeks, from the heart-breaking death of a young man in an industrial accident in Alberta to a featuring on the province’s navigational history. He interviewed Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and introduced viewers to the local stars of the hit TV show Big Brother Canada.

“He’s certainly impressed me with his work so far. He has such a bright future here,” says NTV anchor and senior producer and Lynn Burry.

Anchor Glen Carter, who’s worked in newsrooms all across the country, agrees.

“He’s obviously chosen the right career path because you can tell he has a real love for news,” says Carter.

His dad’s influence, and advice, also extends beyond the field of journalism. “He also told me to stay away from (running for) politics,” jokes Cleary. “Jokes aside, my dad certainly has been a big influence on me, probably the reason why I followed this path and I’m so glad I did.”