“Everybody knows you … and you’re having conversations with adults all the time,” says radio show producer and host Adriel Smiley about his child growing up in the church. Smiley’s dad is a pastor but it was a future in the media that drew in Smiley. In high school, an internship at Rogers taught him the ropes of television production including hosting his own show. At Rogers, he was the youngest in the studio, but he quickly adapted to his new environment. 

“I liked doing behind-the-scenes stuff,” said Smiley. “I was doing replay, I was directing, I was doing audio, all that stuff, so when I go to school for TV, I want to do that.” 

After the internship, he pursued a formal education in journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he admits he wasn’t always the best student. 

“There was stuff to learn, but I was treating it like I already knew everything.” He was being asked to start from scratch when he was already using his skills in the real world. Still, Smiley found projects that allowed him to challenge himself and improve.

Now a working professional, Smiley learned about the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Fellowship for Black Journalists from a longtime mentor, who he had hoped to make the trip with, but only he was selected as a fellow. His mentor encouraged him to go to the NABJ convention in Chicago without her. He accepted, eager for an opportunity to continue to grow.

“I’ve been to a few conventions. I’ve been a part of running a few conventions…I wanted to see if it was going to be as good as the conventions I’ve been to, and honestly, it was better,” he says. Once at NABJ, he was instantly impressed with the mentality of his fellow attendees and their career goals. 

Still, he sounds a warm note of warning to young journalists who are dead-set on becoming on-air talent, saying,

“A lot of people were telling me they don’t want to write…but a lot of journalists I know, it’s like writing is their core, and on-air stuff is just ancillary. Even Malika Andrews was a print journalist, Woj (Adrian Wojnarowski), Zach Lowe. TV is the spicy, flashy thing, but the fact that it all comes down to print as the core, I think is still pretty cool.”

For first-time convention attendees, Smiley advises planning ahead. The schedule can be packed, but scheduling interviews with employers ahead of time can help ensure that you don’t miss an opportunity for a great conversation. 

He also encourages young journalists to be versatile and flexible. “If you’re behind the scenes, be open to any role. They’re all gateways to something.” 

While the panels and career fair may take center stage, much of what Smiley enjoyed about the fellowship was the sense of community. 

“I feel like this is like a new family we have now.”