College beat writer conundrum

i think you are the one who needs to get a grip chief.

 

Yup. I only see one insult in this thread. A fine rant it may be, but aimed in the wrong direction.

 

OK. Angola's right.
All's well.
Circulation is up everywhere.
The transition to the Internet is smooth.
The disasters in San Francisco, Denver and Seattle are exaggerated.
They didn't happen.
The layoffs in umpteen markets didn't happen.
Furloughs aren't being imposed.
Yes, I need to get a grip.
None of this has happened.
Carry on. Keep working hard.
And for God's sake, don't take a vacation you are owed.
Some editor who won't have a job next week might think you are slacking off!

 

I'm young enough and got enough breaks the past few years to allow myself some naivety. I plan to go down with the ship, because this is what I've always wanted to do, and nothing until our industry hit a financial iceberg made me question otherwise.

I don't blame anyone — especially anyone with children — for leaving. I choose not to. Not yet. If I leave my dream profession before I absolutely have to, I think I'll regret it for a long time.

That's why I started this thread. I don't want to leave a business I love. I wanted to see other college/prep beat writers' plans for their typically slower summer months.

We've all had friends forced out of the business. Two of my good friends — one of them also an ex-girlfriend — have lost their jobs just in the past few weeks. Many others have been furloughed. I feel very fortunate, but I don't think any of us should be surprised by anything that happens in the near future.

 

didn't say everything is fine, just don't see the need for you to shit on the thread starter.

 

Actually, jrcsurvivor has a pretty good handle on the situation.

You may not like the message or the way he delivers it, but he's right.

 

Says the man in a humidity-free, year-round sunny situation ;D

 

Ok, Angola, you're right.
But this is what I'm getting at: We need to stop following this credo that hard work fixes everything.
It doesn't.
The kids need to understand that.
For years, I would tell anyone we were in a great profession.
And we were.
But now?
I can't tell them that.
Oh, the same skills will work well elsewhere, and enable them to earn a fair living.
And even how about this: More than a fair living.
But that point needs to be hammered home.
Unless they want to be destitute, the young 'uns need to find different work.

 

I didn't take it personally, and he's probably right.

But I'm just asking what others in similar situations are doing.

I like to write about sports, and personalities in sports. I'm not bad at it, either. Until I have children, I will make the necessary sacrifices to be a sportswriter. Somebody, somewhere, wants to read about their favorite teams, players and personalities, etc... and I'm not ready to give on there being some sort of future in it for me.

I know some have given up, and maybe the situation leaves no logical alternative. That won't stop me from dreaming, though. Not yet.

 

And he writes in textbook sonnet form.

 

A MidSpring Night's Sonnet of Tough Love, by anotherjrcsurvivor.

 

Bless you.