There was a time when being a journalist mattered. A time when a press pass not only got a journalist past the crime tape but also maybe a free drink on the house, a girl's number and a little respect.
There was a time when being a journalist meant drinking whiskey in the newsroom. A time when journalists were more concerned about sources and stories than web-updates and blogs. A time when newspapers were king and the biggest worry in the newsroom was filling the news hole. These were times when journalists loved newspapers and newspapers loved them back.
And it's these times that journalist spend their days reminiscing about between deadlines and announcements of layoffs. In fact, journalists refuse to relinquish the fact that the good ol' days are a thing of the past. For most journalists, the best days are behind them.
Veteran reporters are always eager to share tales about better times of smoke-filled newsrooms, when people looked to journalists to learn about the world around them – and were willing to pay for the news.
Now, instead of picas and paperboys, it's megabytes and Web sites. People would prefer to get their news from a blogger with a "rumor" than a reporter with a confirmed fact.
But journalists don't have to have spend decades behind a newsdesk to reflect about better times. Journalists with ink still drying on their diplomas talk about rookies these days with "their" Twitter and iPhones. "Back in my day, all we had was Google and laptops the size of textbooks!"
Once the heart of the paper, the newsroom is now an anemic cluster of empty desks that whisper stories of the good old days when there were more reporters than pages in the paper. But hey, at least there are journalists still around to talk about the good ole days.
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Topics:
house of a journalist, old time journalist, old time newsroom, drinking journalists, facts from the good old days, good old days stories, stuff from the good old days that doesn\t exist
But journalists don’t have to have spent decades behind a newsdesk to reflect about better times.
Missed your copy editor, “spend” not “spent”
This was an excellent post, and right on target. I have seen the journalism field evolved, as I no longer pitch reporters exclusively, but also have to aim information at bloggers who may or may not get it right. The field has evolved, and you were very dead on with the comparisons.
And, I personally think you were right about the “spend.” Just saying.
Great job!
Lauren
And before the copy editor hardasses come out of the woodwork, *evolve, not *evolved.
I do like having accurate news but I also like having timely news. The old media might get it right but by the time they have reported it, it is old news. Even today with TV news most of the stories are nothing more than old rehashed stories from websites. If not old news most of it is pure sensationalism. The adage “if it bleeds, it leads” is worn out and is usually nothing more than fear mongering. Making people afraid to turn on their computers for fear of catching a virus, making people afraid to walk down the street in their own neighborhoods isn’t good journalism. Journalism didn’t lose respect because of the bloggers or websites, they lost respect when it became more about the bottom line than the story. Bloggers, while arguably less accurate, tend to be less bias as few are paid or paid very little for their stories. Journalist don’t always get their facts right either. As a technical person watching TV news and reading articles in either Dallas/Ft Worth paper are more comedy for me than truth. For me the old media outlets are out of touch with the world around them and the people to whom they are reporting the news.
I’ve been in the business for more than 20 years and this post is spot on. I’m a freelancer now, and sorely miss the buzz of the newsroom, the excitement of deadline… . It makes me sad that so many people rely on so many bloggers who don’t use real sources, who depend largely on rumor and consider fact-checking optional. I’m convinced that newspapers will bounce back one day and will again become the main source of pertinent information for readers. It’ll just take a while for some people to realize that sites like HuffPost pale in comparison to newspapers when it comes to the facts.
—Karri E. Christiansen
I had this come up in my Blog roll feed:
“STUFF JOURNALISTS LIKE
Too much to be a coincidence – So, on April 6, yours truly published a blog about how journalists like the good old days. It was witty, funny and insightful. Well, guess what…. someone c…”
I clicked on the link and it says it doesn’t exist.
I must know the rest of the story…. it’s killing me!
“Journalists with ink still drying on their diplomas talk about rookies these days with “their” Twitter and iPhones. “Back in my day, all we had was Google and laptops the size of textbooks!’”
Well said … I graduated only two or three years ago and I’m already feeling behind. My alma matter is offering courses in online journalism tools that didn’t exist last year let alone when I was there. My job is completely different than it was six months ago. I miss it.
“The Quiet American” has a great section with journalists reminiscing on the good old days. It’s especially funny because the book was written in the 1950s. It seems like the “good old days” were always a few decades earlier.