Wow, I just read that last post from when I was laid off more than a year ago.
Not much has changed, unfortunately.
Check that - fewer journalists are around than a year and a half ago.
A lot fewer.
And today one of my favorites, a bastion of the Twin Cities community journalism community, was fired.
Whether it be his failing eye sight, his illness, or his complete and sublime disregard for organization, he filed a story from a year ago and a school board is threatening a lawsuit.
This sucks. Where were the editors catching the "2009" references in his story?
They probably aren't too blame, and he has had a great run (going toe-to-toe with Jesse Ventura; Rolling Stones run-ins; covering stories that meant something). But it just seems like a yet another pall in an already bleak series of storms.
Ugh.
Damn it!
Well, H.T.R., you are and always will be, one of the good guys.
Cheers my friend.
SP.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, November 23, 2008
What journalists do
The following is a list of perceived or realistic things journalists do.
1. Get offered positions at the Central Intelligence Agency. Journalists, assumably, can write a well-researched, concise brief and can usually keep their mouths shut when they're supposed to. If there's a better description of a communications analyst, I haven't heard one.
I've also never heard of the CIA actually hiring a journalist. Coincidence? Would be nice to get a security clearance, though.
2. Become lawyers. I can't begin to tell you how often this story plays out: smart kid takes a journalism class; said smart kid does well, chooses journalism as his undergrad; law school admissions board sees major, GPA, test scores, assumes kid must be sharp and interesting (huge red stamp: ADMITTED). It's also worth noting that many journalists marry lawyers, and vice versa. Off hand, I can count three journo-barrister couples. Gotta assume they're going to have some sharp, extremely sceptical kids.
3. Become celebrities. This is the glorified, often overimbelished part of journalism. For those who don't know (I'm still learning after eight years), there are many mediums and phylum to journalism. Most associate TV anchors with "The Media." The list includes: Katie Couric -- ha!, Tom Brokaw -- glad he's back on Meet The Press, Bill O'Reilly and maybe you can throw Brian Williams in there for good measure.
These are the people your average Joe The Effing Plummer views as the media, for better for worse.
In reality, the real gatekeepers of news usually live with 25 miles of your front door. These are the people who choose your news: local weathermen (50/50 chance at getting it right); web journalists (you check these on lunch break); breaking news journalists (they make two phone calls, max); community journalists (great Sunday morning bathroom reading when the daily newspaper is just too big, or you can't afford that $1.50); bloggers (figured you should check out what all the fuss is about); sports journalists (need to check latest Vikings or Packers score, injury report, random detail); issues list posters (aka the rumor mill); your neighbor over the back fence (this is probably a pretty solid source); Facebook groups (dumb); early morning radio DJs (all's you really wanna dooooooooo is just hit snoooooooooze).
4. Help people. This is reason why, I believe, journalism exists in America. At least it's supposed to. I'd be interested to learn the percentage of stories in your local daily newspaper that help you. Journalists are supposed to be the so-called "Fourth Estate" after the executive, Legislative and judicial branches of government. We're there to ensure the other three aren't in cahoots (see the first $700 billion bailout), and to stand up for the little man.
With the slashing of newsrooms across the nation (I, myself, have been pink-slapped); you're going to see things get worse: more politicians getting away with more shit; fewer stories being told that should be told at a time when - honestly, people - we need more journalists to entertain, inform and simultaneously keep an eye on this country and those who call it home. We need more watchdogs, more beacons in the storm, more fence-watching bulldogs who will ensure things are going the way they are supposed to. The the little man's voice is a valuable cog in the wheel. But too many people today associate the BIG BAD MEDIA with Katie Couric. Allow me to step at least a foot on a soapbox and derride corporate media. Not because of poor journalism, or even because it gives other media a bad name. But because people can't see past their own television set enough to really seek out good news sources. That doesn't mean they'll always find good news, locally, but knowledge is power. I suppose that's my point. And providing knowledge is a way to empower the people. We do that. So that's one good thing.
5. Adapt. This has never been more true than today, I think. Sooner, rather than later, I get the sense that being a scribe - which is the second oldest job next to ... well, you know - will change so greatly, the careful craft, the social science aspect of it, will go away. It will be replaced with greatly-edited video viewable on your iPhone. Hot chicks delivering the latest news. Right now, I think it's old people buying newspapers (I'm 28, p.m.), and old people watching the news. Sure, The Young followed the Obama campaign, and people bought out every copy of Obama - who, by the way, is perhaps the last true "journalistic goldmine." He's a writer, himself, and I believe someone who understands the importance of the Fourth Estate. But I think he has bigger fish to fry rather than to bailout a few ink-stained wretches. Therefore, we as a profession have to find a way to trick people into wanting to consume well-written, and entertaining news on a large scale again. And pay for it. Because, after all, ad revenue means money for journalists. At least it used to. 18 percent profit margins, apparently, aren't high enough at some journalistic institiutions (corporate) I've worked for. I, for example, haven't had a raise at any one of the three newspapers I've written for. Perhaps that's telling of my talent. Perhaps it's a pitfall of the job. But it is what it is. And I am what I am. Not sure what I will be next week, but I hope more like me are pondering the same questions.
1. Get offered positions at the Central Intelligence Agency. Journalists, assumably, can write a well-researched, concise brief and can usually keep their mouths shut when they're supposed to. If there's a better description of a communications analyst, I haven't heard one.
I've also never heard of the CIA actually hiring a journalist. Coincidence? Would be nice to get a security clearance, though.
2. Become lawyers. I can't begin to tell you how often this story plays out: smart kid takes a journalism class; said smart kid does well, chooses journalism as his undergrad; law school admissions board sees major, GPA, test scores, assumes kid must be sharp and interesting (huge red stamp: ADMITTED). It's also worth noting that many journalists marry lawyers, and vice versa. Off hand, I can count three journo-barrister couples. Gotta assume they're going to have some sharp, extremely sceptical kids.
3. Become celebrities. This is the glorified, often overimbelished part of journalism. For those who don't know (I'm still learning after eight years), there are many mediums and phylum to journalism. Most associate TV anchors with "The Media." The list includes: Katie Couric -- ha!, Tom Brokaw -- glad he's back on Meet The Press, Bill O'Reilly and maybe you can throw Brian Williams in there for good measure.
These are the people your average Joe The Effing Plummer views as the media, for better for worse.
In reality, the real gatekeepers of news usually live with 25 miles of your front door. These are the people who choose your news: local weathermen (50/50 chance at getting it right); web journalists (you check these on lunch break); breaking news journalists (they make two phone calls, max); community journalists (great Sunday morning bathroom reading when the daily newspaper is just too big, or you can't afford that $1.50); bloggers (figured you should check out what all the fuss is about); sports journalists (need to check latest Vikings or Packers score, injury report, random detail); issues list posters (aka the rumor mill); your neighbor over the back fence (this is probably a pretty solid source); Facebook groups (dumb); early morning radio DJs (all's you really wanna dooooooooo is just hit snoooooooooze).
4. Help people. This is reason why, I believe, journalism exists in America. At least it's supposed to. I'd be interested to learn the percentage of stories in your local daily newspaper that help you. Journalists are supposed to be the so-called "Fourth Estate" after the executive, Legislative and judicial branches of government. We're there to ensure the other three aren't in cahoots (see the first $700 billion bailout), and to stand up for the little man.
With the slashing of newsrooms across the nation (I, myself, have been pink-slapped); you're going to see things get worse: more politicians getting away with more shit; fewer stories being told that should be told at a time when - honestly, people - we need more journalists to entertain, inform and simultaneously keep an eye on this country and those who call it home. We need more watchdogs, more beacons in the storm, more fence-watching bulldogs who will ensure things are going the way they are supposed to. The the little man's voice is a valuable cog in the wheel. But too many people today associate the BIG BAD MEDIA with Katie Couric. Allow me to step at least a foot on a soapbox and derride corporate media. Not because of poor journalism, or even because it gives other media a bad name. But because people can't see past their own television set enough to really seek out good news sources. That doesn't mean they'll always find good news, locally, but knowledge is power. I suppose that's my point. And providing knowledge is a way to empower the people. We do that. So that's one good thing.
5. Adapt. This has never been more true than today, I think. Sooner, rather than later, I get the sense that being a scribe - which is the second oldest job next to ... well, you know - will change so greatly, the careful craft, the social science aspect of it, will go away. It will be replaced with greatly-edited video viewable on your iPhone. Hot chicks delivering the latest news. Right now, I think it's old people buying newspapers (I'm 28, p.m.), and old people watching the news. Sure, The Young followed the Obama campaign, and people bought out every copy of Obama - who, by the way, is perhaps the last true "journalistic goldmine." He's a writer, himself, and I believe someone who understands the importance of the Fourth Estate. But I think he has bigger fish to fry rather than to bailout a few ink-stained wretches. Therefore, we as a profession have to find a way to trick people into wanting to consume well-written, and entertaining news on a large scale again. And pay for it. Because, after all, ad revenue means money for journalists. At least it used to. 18 percent profit margins, apparently, aren't high enough at some journalistic institiutions (corporate) I've worked for. I, for example, haven't had a raise at any one of the three newspapers I've written for. Perhaps that's telling of my talent. Perhaps it's a pitfall of the job. But it is what it is. And I am what I am. Not sure what I will be next week, but I hope more like me are pondering the same questions.
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