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How did you get started in journalism?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Football_Bat, May 31, 2010.

  1. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    Collecting unemployment, as soul-deadening as it is, is preferable to
    working at Wal-Mart -- or suicide.
     
  2. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Um, actually it did. I had worked for my last paper for many years, and got dumped because some corporate suit decided they needed to give the higher-ups a nice bonus while putting everyone else on furlough. I was one of about a dozen people at the paper who got purged at the same time. Some of them are still looking for work, like me.

    Had the paper given me a choice of 'work and get paid or get laid off and collect half your pay for unemployment while paying hundreds of dollars a month for COBRA', odds are pretty damn good that I would have taken the larger amount of money and worked.

    And for the record, I've gone above and beyond the work search requirements for unemployment, sending out about 4-5 resumes per week. I recently had a couple of rejection letters, each of which they said that over 100 people had applied for the same job.

    It's pretty hard to pull yourself up from the bootstraps when the straps keep breaking through no fault of your own.
     
  3. micropolitan guy

    micropolitan guy Well-Known Member

    Had some writing skills. Started working for my college paper for something to do, and went from there. Got hired sight-unseen by a daily right out of college and was willing to move 1600 miles to a very remote area start my career.
     
  4. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Not to further threadjack this, but WalMart and its ilk have done a pretty good job of making it clear we--college educated non-drones--are not wanted as even P/T employees at their place. When I was out of work in 2001, I applied at all the big box stores, figuring maybe I could get work stocking shelves overnight. Never got one call back. Not. One.

    Fast forward eight years and I'm in the same boat. Wife is wondering why I won't go to Costco or some place like that. I said if I couldn't get a nibble in 2001, when the economy sucked and the business of journalism sucked but things in general were nowhere near as bleak as they are now, why the fuck would I go apply now, when the pool of applicants is several times larger and includes plenty of blue-collar people whose jobs were secure in 2001?

    And Baron's line about the boot straps breaking is perfect. YGBFKM is my dog and all, but the person who lands on his feet after a minimal period of unemployment is in the minority this time around.
     
  5. jimmydangles

    jimmydangles Member

    Read everything as a kid -- including a lot of yellow newspapers, magazines and media guides in Gramps' attic -- and obsessed over sports. Wrote a lot. At 16, convinced the local city SE to let me string some high school games. Covered a girls' soccer game and a field hockey game and got my first check.
     
  6. YGBFKM

    YGBFKM Guest

    Collecting unemployment is not preferrable to working, as it is more soul-crushing than just about any job I can think of. Look, I'm not yelling, "Get a job, you lazy fuck!" I understand that taking a "lesser" job can be demeaning, and I understand that for some, they simply run out of choices. But to me, few things are more demeaning than collecting unemployment, which is why, despite being unemployed for fairly significant stretches twice in the last two years, I have not even entertained the idea.

    But regardless of where this debate heads, I'm just happy to know I'm BYH's dog.
     
  7. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Collecting unemployment is part of my textbook liberal agenda, you know. :D :D :D
     
  8. YGBFKM

    YGBFKM Guest

    Get a job, you lazy fuck!
     
  9. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    That's a fair summation for too many of those who trained for/have
    dedicated their lives to this business. Yes, there are fields in which
    ex-journos might feel right at home -- but as was the case with the
    Titanic, there ain't near-enough lifeboats. And I'm a guy who respects
    reasonable perspectives maintained by bosses, and who doesn't believe
    in goldbricking.
     
  10. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    It's far-preferable to working at Wal-Mart. At least it provides an opportunity to whip out well-considered resumes to realistic targets.
     
  11. YGBFKM

    YGBFKM Guest

    I think working is preferrable than expecting other people to support you. We'll agree to disagree.
     
  12. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Collecting unemployment is not other people supporting you.
    I don't know about your state, but I have unemployment insurance taken out of my paycheck every week...and have for more than 40 years.
    I have never collected a penny and probably never will. But if I were to get laid off tomorrow, I'd be at the unemployment office bright and early Wednesday applying to start getting some of MY MONEY back.
     
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