Congress should think about updating its endangered species list to include journalists.
With newspapers either closing their doors or reducing staff small enough to fit in a phone booth, it should come to no surprise that one thing journalists like is leaving journalism.
Either fed up with the low pay, the bad hours or the ulcers, journalists lately leave the field in droves – voluntarily or involuntarily. With little transferable skills, journalists have the option of becoming a PR hack or end up asking people how much foam they want with their latte. The No.1 source of spokespeople and PR reps is former journalists.
When young people first make the mistake decision to enter the world of journalism, they have a cute glimmer of hope about changing the world, fighting corruption and making a difference in the world.
The glimmer fades when the reality of journalism sets in. Instead of their byline appearing on important stories that sparked national dialogue, many journalists find themselves stuck in small, understaffed newsrooms writing about the first day of spring and the upcoming arts festival. Journalists want to do hard investigative reporting but between filing three news story a day, working the copy desk on the weekends and filling in for the photographer on a furlough, there’s not time to devote to that kind of journalism.
While their collegiate classmates graduate and find financial success, journalists leave college (taking with them their college loans) and work for newspaper (if they’re lucky enough to land a job) only to see their salaries slashed, be forced to take furloughs and still drive around in the same Honda they had in college.
Instead of pursuing love or hobbies like a normal young adult, journalists don’t have much free time, spending their evening in city council meetings, poring over copy, desperately trying to reach sources and learning different ways to cook Top Ramen. And if a journalist miraculously has an evening off, they are at the mercy of their editor who has no qualms about calling journalists on their days off to ask a question about a story or assign them late-breaking news.
There comes a breaking point for most journalists when they’ve had enough, either they canceled plans with friends for the last time or are tired of having to freelance on the side to afford to be able to put cheese on their Whopper.
Sometimes the virtues of journalism are outweighed by the fact that the job and the pay just sucks at times.
All journalists have that one friend who is now a former journalist. After going through a 12-step program, the recovering journalist will find him or herself on the Dark Side, being the thing they were sworn to hate when they were in the newsroom – a PR hack.
Though it’s hard for journalists to see their friends and colleagues flock to government jobs, PR firms and Starbucks, in the end it weeds out those who aren’t tough enough for the gritty world of journalism. Plus, when they leave, their co-workers get to call dibs on the lasagna left in the fridge.
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Topics:
leaving journalism, journalism transferable skills, how to leave the journalism field, journalist hobbies, transferable skills journalist
hmm, journalist blog post with bad spelling? Pursing and Braking (It’s Pursuing and Breaking a habit)
My inner copy editor is cringing at “shifting” through Dumpsters (I imagine you mean “sifting”) and “pouring” over copy (“poring” is the spelling you’re looking for).
But yeah, you have written the story of my life: “stuck in small, understaffed newsrooms writing about the first day of spring and the upcoming arts festival. Journalists want to do hard investigative reporting but between filing three news story a day, working the copy desk on the weekends and filling in for the photographer on a furlough, there’s not time to devote to that kind of journalism.”
Lord help us all.
“…in the end it weeds out those who aren’t tough enough for the gritty world of journalism.”
OR it weeds out those of us who have too much dignity and pride to be associated with half-assed, poorly written content or to keep producing chop shop and cookie cutter drivel for a living. And that whole “ethics” thing is getting kind of diluted too.
Seriously, there are plenty of opportunities available for anyone who can write well. I have a journalism degree, and now do book publishing. I’ve also written articles for magazines and newsletters. Of course, let’s not forget the newest need for great writers … website content and website NEWS!
Yes, we are just finding our news in a different venue than we previously did. If your newspaper isn’t on board, it needs be.
All aboard for the new era of journalism!
Lyn, preach! Journalism isn’t disappearing, it’s purely becoming a more complex field. While I will concede the fact that physical newspapers are dying, journalism certainly isn’t. A journalism degree teaches you a variety of skills which can be used in many different fields–book publishing is only one of them.
After more than six years in the field, I’m having serious doubts/regrets and I don’t think it’s because I’m not tough enough. I’m just sick of working for free, logging my 40 hours week after week when I really put in 50, and then working a part-time job to supplement my income. Meanwhile, I’m inching closer to 30 and nowhere near being able to achieve the other things I want out of life, including a house and a family. Let’s face it, unless you’ve moved pretty far up in the ranks or have a significant other with a decent-paying job that can support your journalism “hobby,” it’s not a career that seems like a practical way to make a living. It might be great for single people or young people who don’t have enough sense yet to worry about financial security, but I’m not sure I can do it for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, it’s still hard to imagine myself fitting into a soul-sucking, 9-5 office.