Sheldon Morais

No breaking stride: Running a fast news team | Sheldon Morais

As the sun rises in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs and the chaos begins in the country’s biggest digital newsroom, the captain of News24’s fast news desk Sheldon Morais laces up his running shoes and hits the street as a form of meditation before the storm.

“Road running is great because of the scenery. No two places (are the same) and it also takes your mind off the things that are troubling you. It is an active way of meditating. I run ideally four to fives times a week. I think Johannesburg is a beautiful city. I love the trees. Growing up I always used to marvel at the trees in some of the Johannesburg suburbs and streets. The people are friendly as well and you smile at your fellow runners,” he says.

As the assistant editor for breaking news at News24, Morais is an early riser and one of the first things he does when he wakes up is grab his phone to check what might have happened while the country was asleep. On average he speaks to between 20 - 30 people a day while planning what the news cycle will look like.

“There is a lot you have to stay connected to in terms of news development and making sure that you are making the right decisions and if we have made the wrong decision, to correct it as quickly as possible. Then having to be plugged into different platforms and keeping an eye on internal communications as well,” he says.

“Coordination is the most challenging, but it is also the most rewarding because that has a direct impact on how successful we are on any given day. It’s about constantly being on but also knowing when to switch off as well, to get a bit of a breather so that you are performing at your best during the day,” he adds.

With nearly two decades of experience in radio and digital media, a teenage Morais had his eyes set on engineering.

“I wanted to be a chemical engineer as a child. I didn’t know what it was it just sounded cool, but it turned out that chemistry and I didn’t have any chemistry. Then I wanted to become an accountant because I love numbers, it's structured and I did well [In it], but it didn't grab me,” he says.

“As a 17-year-old I thought about what I liked and I liked reading and connecting people, and journalism sounded like it offered me that. I went off to study journalism and became a journalist professionally in 2004 and here I am today,” he adds.

As if the pressures of running a newsroom weren’t enough Morais is also doing his MBA, a decision he jokingly says he questions every day.

“I have always wanted to do an MBA because I am interested in business and how things work. I love systems and networks and how one fits into the system. It also gives me the opportunity to indulge my love of numbers. It’s demanding but it also has a level of challenge that one needs sometimes to get you out of your comfort zone,” he says.

“The world is so fast-paced and changing and technology is changing the pace of everything at such a rapid rate. You are going to be left behind if you don’t keep up to date and learn new things,” he adds.

Morais says that he has made peace with the fact that there is no switching off in this job, which is okay because he enjoys it so much. When he does get a break, he enjoys finding hidden gems around the city as well as a good crime series.

“I like to read and I run. I often pursue things that are of interest to me like personal finance, investing, documentaries and series, especially crime and drama series. I also love a bit of British humour and a good glass of red wine now and again certainly doesn’t hurt,” he says.

When asked what he wants to be remembered for in the industry, he says never for the stories but rather: “For my kindness, being passionate about journalism and personal relationships. I think personal remembrance for me is what’s important. I want to be remembered for the personal relationships and the impact I had and the impact my teams had as well and the things we were able to accomplish and do.”

Watch the full interview: