More than a decade ago, I was a professional journalist…for a whole five months. I was was working for a newspaper that shall remain nameless as a full-time “bureau chief,” which, in newspaper-ese, meant that I was the only person in a remote office 30 miles away from HQ, and good luck with that. Mine wasn’t so great, and left with a rather bad taste in my mouth.
I’d like to say that the newspaper industry as a whole has improved since then, but I don’t want to lie to you. Then again, you probably already know how it’s going, if you’ve worked at a newspaper for any stretch of time.
Print media has been taking a beating, mostly due to rising print costs, dropping ad revenue, and, in many cases, management more suited for the turn of the 20th century than the 21st.
Does this mean that journalism is dead? No. As the basic rule of chemistry dictates, matter is neither created nor destroyed. It just changes form.
The same is true of journalism. What once was local outposts of print newspapers are sprouting up local blogs, Twitter feeds and social media of all kinds, tailored to a wide or as narrow an audience as needed.
But because social media is young and despite its popularity, its practical application as a form of journalism is still getting sorted out. However, as sites such as Examiner.com and the Huffington Post gain more popularity and more credibility, eventually the transition will be complete.
Still, there is always the question of compensation. Consider this: If you’re a J-school grad for anywhere besides a place like Columbia, you’re probably not making a lot of money to start out with in the first place. As for mentors? There are plenty of old-school journalists out there. All you have to do is ask. The worst they’ll say is no.
In the near future, it looks as if social media, with its real-time appeal, will become attraction for those looking to get into hard news. As for newspapers, there have been many suggestions as to how they can retain their relevance. But for now, it looks as if many are sticking with the old stand-by.
Good luck with that.