SMT There are many different parts types of reporters, such as a financial news reporters and a local news reporters.  Do you have any reason or motivation for being an entertainment reporter?

KIM Actually, there is no specific reason why I have become an entertainment reporter.  This is because I did not have a chance to choose what part I was going to be in at that time.  When I newly entered a newspaper company as a reporter, the company arranged me into an entertainment section.  However, an important thing is that even though I have had an opportunity to choose my part by myself after a few years, I constantly keep doing the e

ntertainment reporter.  Due to the Korean Wave, people have started to be interested in popular culture and as many news sites have appeared on the Internet, most people see the entertainment news first even though they are not that important.  So I think these are interesting facts. Moreover, I want to strive to be the top professional entertainment reporter among hundreds of entertainment reporters.

 

SMT There is severe competition for reporters to get a scoop.  How much is a scoop valuable for the entertainment reporters?

KIM Many people have misunderstanding that reporters, who have a scoop, get bonuses or are promoted. However, it is not true.  Because the duty of a reporter is seeking new sources to write articles, getting a scoop is one of his duties . Moreover, these days, there is a lot of entertainment news on the Internet, so people do not know who the first reporter getting a scoop is.  Only co-reporters know who gets a scoop first and recognize the reporter’s ability. Thus I think it is a kind of self-satisfaction for trying to get a scoop without any rewards.

SMT In the media, the images of entertainment reporters are very negative. How do you think about that?

KIM Media inclines to excessively exaggerate what entertainment reporters are doing and their characteristics.  Here is my episode.  In an SBS drama called Minam Isi Nae yo, an entertainment reporter with negative image appears.  I was surprised that the reporter’s name in the drama is very similar to my name.  I have thought the drama writers

targeted me, while making up the reporter’s negative images because I am very often on the TV as a reporter

talking about celebrities.  So I made a kind of protest to the drama.  Actually, entertainment reporters’images and personalities in the media are very different from those in the real world.  Entertainment reporters are also businessmen who work in newspaper companies.  They have no time to shadow celebrities because they have a pile of articles to write and they have their busy schedules.  I am inconvenienced that people misapprehend entertainment reporters by just watching their negative descriptions in the media.

SMT Can entertainment reporters and celebrities be friends? And do you have a close celebrity friend?

KIM Some reporters try to get familiar with celebrities for their benefits, but celebrities shun these reporters because they also know the reporter’s intentions.  And even though reporters and celebrities are close friends, reporters have to conclusively do their duties, which are writing either positive or negative articles about celebrities. So it is very difficult that entertainment reporters and celebrities can be really good friends.  There are some cases that reporters and celebrities are friends.  For these relationships, they are not in a business relation, but in a human to human relation. In my case, a movie actor, Cho Han Sun is my celebrity friend.  We are more in a human to human relation than in a business relation.  Sometimes I get a benefit from him because he and I are close friends. For example, he has recently announced that he is going to get married, so I could be the first to interview him about his marriage.

SMT Please give advice to Sookmyungians who want to be entertainment reporters.

 

KIM First, you have to think about the reason why you want to be an entertainment reporter.  If your reasons are just wanting to meet your favorite celebrities or getting familiar with popular celebrities, you are not ready to be an entertainment reporter.  When you decide to be an entertainment reporter, it is dangerous to have an illusion about

the entertainment world and celebrities.  In addition, you need a cultural grounding.  It means that you have to be able to tell specific feelings and reasons why you like your favorite movies and books.  Last, the most important thing is stability.  You need to be well-balanced so you do not have to be under control for writing articles. Currently, there are more women entertainment reporters than men reporters.  This is because women are more sensitive and interested in the entertainment world. So challenge it.

 Kim Yong Ho

- Graduated from the Department of Biological Science and the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism in SungKyunKwan University, 2003
- Entered NEWSIS as an entertainment reporter in 2004
- Entered SPORTSWORLD as an entertainment reporter in 2008