oh those wacky college kids

There are lots of fields hurting right now.

Wanna be a banker? A real estate dealer? A stock broker? A retail sales manager? An automobile assembly line worker?
Even a teacher? (In my state, the school districts are cutting teacher jobs because there's not enough money to pay them.)

We see the crisis in journalism up close, because it is our livelihood. But when I talk with people in other professions, they remind me it isn't all that rosey, either.

 

The difference is, newspapers were headed toward the toilet even before the economy tanked. The rest of those industries will come back, eventually (save maybe cars).

We'd be screwed even under the best of circumstances.

 

this business of being a journalist is, of course, tough as hell these days and there is seemingly not much of an upside.
but guess what? I still like what I do and I'd probably do it again if I had to start all over.
every job has its downside and every job has its fair share of people moaning and groaning. that old line of "it's greener on the other side" is really true.
if I did something else, i'd probably be bitching and whining about it within a month's time and ask why I ever left the sportswriting profession.

 

The problem isn't the job. The problem is what happens when you need the next job. For most of us, there is no next job.

 

I think there are legitimate reasons for people to be displeased with working in the business. I've heard that from people before - "The grass is always greener ..." But I don't think making a liveable wage in a nice place with upward mobility should have to be mutually exclusive with enjoying what you do. That's a false dichotomy.

And let's get beyond the pay. You know what else sucks in this business? The goddamn hours. Sucks hard, especially once marriage and children come along.

 

No, not much at all, but I was at a in-state for college but not THE state school. Just a small state school of about 7,500 students. I don't say this to gloat, but just after having read that article, I feel as my versatilely is a bit more open with a degree in English rather than one in journalism.

 

As a fellow English degree holder ... um, not so much.

 

If I had it to do over again, I'd get a philosophy major. Probably along with something else, but I'd definitely get one.

 

Bull. There shouldn't be as many J-schools, maybe, but there will be a need for true reporting as long as there is democracy.

The business is struggling badly, everyone knows that. But it is not completely dead, nor will it be. A world of only fluff pieces will either have disastrous results and/or cause journalism to come roaring back. The only way journalism will completely die is if enough people decide that they can't handle the hours and low pay, or if democracy itself dies.

 

This is the one quote that confused me the most:

When I entered J-school nine years ago, it was advised that I shouldn't get attached to one time zone.

 

Journalismjobs.com lists six full-time sports reporter jobs open in the country. It's not about being attached to a time zone, it's about there being one job per time zone.

Voakes is flat-out wrong.

 

I've tried to tell friends that are still in j-school programs to get out. None listen. I won't feel sorry for them in five years, when they still haven't found a job.