A lot of people always used to say no to themselves when facing difficulties, but OJ Borg tells us that no one is better than yourself.
For this year’s LTU Journalism and Media Week, we invited BBC Radio 2 broadcaster OJ Borg to give a talk titled ‘Man on the Mic’. As a very popular radio and TV presenter, OJ Borg spoke to us with tongue in cheek humour about his broadcasting experiences and advice for young journalists.
Interest is the most powerful driver. When talking about his career, OJ Borg told us that before he became a household name on BBC Radio 2, he found such a passion for broadcasting at Radio Leicester. It was his broadcasting initiation and the first introduction to his eventual choice of the profession.
Regarding his broadcasting life, OJ Borg said: “I am not the best presenter in the country. I may not be the best presenter in the room. I just make mistakes early and fail early.”
“Make mistakes early in your career, before you get serious” is the best advice he gave us.
Failure is a key to success. So, what we need is to be the best that you can be. Try to produce and create all your own stuff without fear of failure.
His professionalism and love of broadcasting has brought him to the fore in eSports presenting. This 30-minute weekly programme airs on BFBS Radio and offers eSports gaming and online communities enjoyed by military listeners around the world.
Esports and Strictly Come Dancing are two places he still works on and commented on the struggle to balance the life and work, he said “I don’t know the answer.”
In the end, he gave some advice for young journalists. This included suggestions such as “do as much as you can, be relatable and be yourself.”
An important part of the broadcasting discipline is talking, which OJ Borg has been trained to do by placing a toy on the microphone and trying to speak to the toy, which makes the conversation more comfortable.
His final tip? To get great answers ask open and general questions rather than specialised questions.