Joy Robertson

About

Besides being a die-hard foodie, I have spent nearly twenty years of my life as a broadcast journalist. My official title is television news reporter and anchor, but the best part of my job is shooting, writing and editing my own stories. Some call this 'backpack reporting' - I just call it fun. When it's just me and my subject things get interesting -- people tend to relax and offer more off-the-cuff comments than in a more formal interview situation. I've covered everything from a woman who can't leave home with her service monkey to a pair of Arkansas cousins who catch catfish with their bare hands. I documented a cancer patient's journey through hospice until she died, and witnessed birth in a swimming pool via a midwife. I've taken viewers through the ups and downs of a roller coaster convention and inside an Ozarks meth lab. I've documented storm chasing, the effort to protect loggerhead turtles and a man from Cuba who sailed to America in a Chevy truck. I've been in the operating room for everything from gastric bypass surgery to cochlear implant to kidney transplant and infant skull surgery. You bring me an interesting person and I'll give you a GREAT story!

Now I have the chance to tell food stories. So... what's on your menu?

What to Expect

I can go one of two ways, or both -- as a Food Channel host I can explain how we discover and define food trends, describe origin and philosophy of the site, and share videos and photos to walk participants through a story shoot - whether scanning the floor of the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago or behind the scenes of a restaurant.

As a reporter who tends to carry a camcorder wherever I go, I will explain what influences me to fire it up and point it at someone. Since it's just me and the subject, most people tend to open up and relax - this offers a unique glimpse into their lives. Somehow in my career I've captured well over one hundred stories that cover subjects from birth to death: I watched a woman give birth in a blow-up swimming pool with the help of a midwife, and I watched a retired nurse weave her way through hospice before dying with dignity on her terms. I've followed Arkansas cousins as they hand-fished for catfish on a muddy river, explored the burning question of why young people don't wear wrist watches any more, took viewers inside an Ozarks meth lab, profiled an 8-year-old gardner who sells basil at the local farmer's market, followed a meteorologist on a tornado chase, spent a day with a woman and her service monkey, and shot a story on my iPhone after a bat attacked a young man on a riding lawn mower. If there's a story I want to tell it, and with any technology that I can get my hands on.... as long as it will fit in my purse.

Stage/Setup Requirements:
Big screen, internet access, decent sound system and again, a nice Pinot Grigio ;)

Additional Notes:
I just need a big screen, internet access, a decent sound system and a nice Pinot Grigio.

Experience

2006: 10 gigs
2007: 10 gigs
2008: 10 gigs
2009: 3 gigs

Available for Your

Convention, Corporate Event, Cruise, Workshop