cirrcum vitae:

Wilson Lee

DOWNLOAD CV IN WORD FORMAT

Professional Profile: I have been a specialist political news reporter for the past ten years in a wide range of capacities and media. Most of my experience has been gained in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada as a television producer and on-camera reporter, but I have also worked as a professional print journalist in Seoul, South Korea and more recently here in South Africa. I am currently completing a Master of Management degree at the Wits University Graduate School of Public and Development Management and consulting widely with NGOs in the development sector. I am also producing a number of documentary film projects, shooting and producing television inserts and writing for various Canadian media.

Professional Characteristics: I am a highly professional, motivated and organized person who thrives on challenges. I am results-oriented, believe strongly in financial accountability, write exceptionally well and meet deadlines without fail. I am idealistically driven, but practical in my approach. I think theoretically, but act strategically. I work effectively and efficiently under challenging circumstances, including conflict situations and extreme deadline pressures. I process, critically assess and analyze information quickly. I work independently and resourcefully. And, I have excellent team building, project management, leadership, networking, and interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.

Media Experience

South Africa-based Freelance Journalist/Documentary Filmmaker
Johannesburg, South Africa
April 2002 to present
• regular contributor to Toronto Star World and Travel sections
• regular contributing producer/videographer to Mediatelevision
• other media include Globe and Mail, CBC Radio, Human Rights Tribune
The Sowetan, and The National Community Radio Forum (South Africa)
• currently shooting, directing and producing long-form documentary on baby
rapes in South Africa
• currently producing long-form documentary on African football for SABC 1
• currently producing long-form documentary on South African jazz musician
Zim Ngqawana

Parliamentary Correspondent
CTV National News & Newsnet - Ottawa, Canada
August 2001 to March 2002
• covered federal politics for Canada's highest-rated national newscast
• filed daily news reports to network affiliates and provided live, breaking-news
coverage to all-news channel and network affiliates
• responsibilities included generating story ideas, developing contacts and
tracking on-going issues with special focus on health and the official
opposition
Wilson Lee page 2 of 5

Parliamentary Correspondent
Chum Network - Ottawa, Canada
December 1999 to July 2001
• covered federal politics for Canada's fourth-largest news network
• covered Supreme Court of Canada decisions, including landmark rulings on mercy
killings, child pornography, and the death penalty
• covered November 2000 general election campaign, numerous political conventions
and multilaterals, including the 2001 Quebec City Summit of the Americas and Prime
Minister Pierre Trudeau's death
• responsibilities included assigning stories, strategizing live coverage of significant
events, leading editorial meetings and maintaining bureau relations with members of
parliament and government departments

Reporter
Citytv - CityPulse News & CablePulse24 - Toronto, Canada
November 1997 to November 1999
• covered municipal and provincial politics, crime and courts for leading newscast in
Canada's largest city and news market
• principal on-air, breaking news reporter for Canada's first local, 24-hour, all news
channel
• responsibilities included developing story ideas, cultivating contacts, maintaining
sources and tracking on-going local issues

Producer
TVOntario - Fourth Reading - Toronto, Canada
September 1995 to October 1997
• co-produced weekly, half hour, live, in-studio talk show for Ontario's highest-rated
provincial politics program
• co-produced coverage of numerous live political conventions
• responsibilities included developing story ideas, booking guests, research, host
preparations and producing inserts

Documentary Researcher & Insert Producer
TVOntario - Studio 2 - Toronto, Canada
July 1994 to August 1995
• researched and co-produced 15-30 minute inserts for provincial public
broadcaster's flagship current affairs program
• responsibilities included developing story ideas, conducting investigative research and
coordinating field shoots

Reporter
The Korea Herald - Seoul, South Korea
January 1992 to August 1992
• wrote features for weekend section of South Korea's largest circulation English-
language daily
• copy-edited front page and international news section

Development Consulting Experience

Research Consultant
University of the Witwatersrand, Office of Community Service Partnerships -
Johannesburg, South Africa
October 2003
• currently conducting literature review and writing best practices report on monitoring and evaluating HIV/AIDS intervention projects in South Africa

Management Consultant
University of the Witwatersrand, Office of Community Service Partnerships - Limpopo, South Africa
October 2003
• executed creative marketing campaign, designed, photographed, and printed promotions package for community economic development project in Limpopo

Media Consultant
South African NGO Coalition - Johannesburg, South Africa
September - October 2003
• developed media and communication strategy for NGO Week, including organizing
media site visits and press conferences

Research Consultant
Rural Development Services Network – Johannesburg, South Africa
January 2003
• researcher on fact-finding trip to Eastern Cape to investigate cholera outbreak, wrote and published opinion piece in The Sowetan

Contributing Writer
Human Rights Tribune - Ottawa, Canada
2003 to present
• regular contributor to human rights and development focused journal publication

Editorial and Production Consultant
National Community Radio Forum, World Summit on Sustainable Development - Radio Voices Without Frontiers - Johannesburg, South Africa
August - September 2002
• provided technical, editorial and production guidance to English-language radio team
producing news and current affairs programming for 10-day global broadcast of the
World Summit on Sustainable Development
• coordinated daily, one-hour , live coverage of proceedings, in-depth analysis, spot
news reports, panel discussions and feature interviews for 200 community radio
station partners around the world
• wrote monitoring and evaluation report, including best practices recommendations

Editorial Consultant

National Community Radio Forum, Highway Africa Conference - Johannesburg, South Africa
August 2002
• provided editorial guidance to radio team producing one-hour, live broadcast of the
2002 Highway Africa conference focusing on journalism, media and digital technology
in Africa
• wrote monitoring and evaluation report, including best practices recommendations

Education

Master of Public and Development Management, 2004
Currently completing management degree at University of the Witwatersrand Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Johannesburg, South Africa, expected graduation 2004

Master of Journalism , 1994
Carleton University, Graduate School of Journalism and Communications, Ottawa, Canada, broadcast specialization

Bachelor of Arts (Hons.), 1991
University of Toronto, Department of Political Science, Toronto, Canada,
development politics specialization

Other Skills and Interests

• small-format camera operator and online editing
• advanced computer skills, including web-based research and databases
• digital audio and editing
• slr and digital photography, news, portraits and wildlife
• extensive travels throughout South and Southern Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico
and Central America, South Korea and Eastern Europe
• conversational Korean and rudimentary French

References

Chris Armstrong
Associate, Link Centre
083-590-8744
[email protected]

Ngaire Blankenberg
Executive Producer, Ochre Communications
083-580-6329
[email protected]

Prof. Claudia Ford
Director, Wits Unviersity Office of Community Partnerships
082-682-9921
[email protected]

Stephanie Nolen
South Africa Bureau Chief, Globe and Mail (Canada’s National Newspaper)
083-461-6580
[email protected]

*additional references and work samples available on request

articles | photographs | projects | CV | contact | HOME