Arbec sheds light on world of broadcast journalism

“We were having a discussion about eyebrows,” a smiling Arbec remembered while addressing the audience this past Sunday afternoon at the Westmount Public Library. “My colleague said, ‘I go to a place called Dee’s, have you ever heard of threading?’”

Their exchange eventually led to a 'My Montreal' segment about Dee’s Beauty Salon, where South Asian women practice the art of threading –

removing facial hair by manipulating fine thread to pull out the hair follicle.

The segment was one of five shown by Arbec to the group of writers, aspiring journalists, and those simply curious about the world of journalism, during a talk organized by the Westmount Public Library and the Canadian Authors Association.

Arbec is a familiar face as the anchor of the late-night newscast at CTV Montreal. She is also responsible for the research, writing, and presentation of 'My Montreal', which focuses on the customs and special events among Montreal’s cultural communities.

“I have learnt so much about culture, religion and traditions,” Arbec told the audience. “The thing I love the most is telling the truth about people’s stories… You can make a story out of anything, you just have to be curious and find a hook.”

Arbec loves her job but admits she wasn’t born knowing what she wanted to do. In CEGEP, she thought she was on the road to becoming a doctor while studying health science. However, a course in documentary film inspired her to pursue a career in broadcast journalism instead.

Before joining CTV, Arbec worked at CKUT and CJAD radio and the Weather Network.

Much to the delight of the writers in the audience, Arbec discussed writing for news television, a medium where the mantra seems to be ‘keep it short’.

“It's extremely important to be concise, that your writing is tight,” Arbec advised.

“Our job is to collect the information, filter it, and capture the essence in a very short time.”

Arbec explained that for television, sounds and pictures also drive stories and her words “just connect everything.” She is often required to pare down a half hour of footage to one minute and 50 seconds. “It doesn’t mean that just because you have to be short that you can’t be creative…It's like a puzzle.”

Arbec’s candid talk also touched on issues such as sensationalism in the media, and the need for more visible minorities as news reporters. “Our newsroom has to represent our audience,” she said with conviction.

After the presentation, the audience lined up to speak to Arbec personally and comments from the crowd were very positive.

Westmount resident Namita Arora had walked in on the presentation just as Arbec was showing a 'My Montreal' segment about a family reunion in Kerala, India. “I’m from India so it was very interesting to watch. We learnt about how stories are made.”

Arbec answered questions and encouraged people to contact her by e-mail with any comments or story ideas. After all, you never know where that next great story may come from.