Q&A with Scott Spits, The Age Reporter

1. What’s your favourite product or brand at Nine and why?

The Age newspaper – naturally! But I rarely miss 60 Minutes on Sunday nights. Also, Footy Classified is on my radar. Postcards usually gets me in, too…

2. Tell us how your role will play or has played a part in helping Nine bring the Australian Open to life?

I have covered the Australian Open for more than 20 years – long enough to see Roger Federer come and go if you like! It’s a privilege to both share the experiences with our audience and bring to life the stories of the tournament, especially behind the scenes moments. So often TV viewers have taken in a match during the evening session, but it then becomes our job to speak to the players afterwards and seek insights into what transpired for the next day’s readers, either online or in print. The Australian Open is a long-time staple of the January holiday period and the natural rhythms of the action-packed fortnight is locked into the psyche of sports fans across Australia.

3. What is your favourite part about working on the Australian Open?

The buzz and excitement of the tournament. I’m a massive tennis fan and the Australian Open essentially signals the start of the new tennis season, with many players refreshed after (a usually) short Christmas break. While a player of the calibre of Novak Djokovic has been THE standout athlete in Melbourne over the past decade, Melbourne’s Open has at different times signaled the arrival of new tennis stars.

4. Can you tell us about how you first came to join Nine, and why?

I first joined The Age thanks to my long-held dream to work in sports journalism – a dream that began to take shape when I was quite young. Due to my persistent nature and a fortuitous combination of events, I was able to begin my career at the newspaper not long after finishing at university. I’ve become part of the wider Nine community as part of the merger between the companies.

5. Thinking back to when you first started at Nine, and to where you are now, how has your time here at Nine changed you?

Working at Nine and at The Age has given me a broad range of experiences and helped shape my understanding of how we entertain, inform and engage with our audiences. In the decade and a half of my current stint at The Age, I’m confident I’ve become a better and more reliable reporter with better composure in pressure moments.

6. Tell us about some of the key moments you’re most proud of that have shaped your career at Nine over the years.

Working an intense 2-3 weeks in London as part of a large team for the 2012 Olympics remains one of my career highlights. But getting the chance four years later to travel to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Paralympics, essentially as a solitary reporter, was immensely enjoyable and satisfying, albeit tiring. The highlights that come each year at the Australian Open are simply too many to mention.