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The Only Job He Ever Wanted

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Moderator1, Jun 2, 2008.

  1. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Stephen Fehr says good-bye.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/30/AR2008053002446.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
     
  2. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Saw a hint of this on Romanesko.

    Can't read it. Know it'll be too painful. And, no, I'm not Mr. Fehr.
     
  3. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    That is a must read. Fantastically done.
     
  4. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    I liked this part:

    Woodward was such a rock star to my generation that I knew everything about him, including that he showed up at the home of The Post's metropolitan editor one night to ask for a job. I used the same tactic to get hired at the Kansas City Star when my summer job at The Post ended. Only, I showed up at a family barbecue in the back yard of the Star's metropolitan editor. He hired me the next morning.

    Try something like that these days and you'd be hauled away as a trespasser and possible stalker. You also would disqualify yourself from consideration for employment, because any journalist worth hiring would know that even the open jobs rarely get filled anymore.
     
  5. GB-Hack

    GB-Hack Active Member

    You should. It's tremendous.
     
  6. Birdscribe

    Birdscribe Active Member

    And when you think about it, he and his generation were the lucky ones.

    Can you imagine a 22-year-old white male today getting his first gig at the Kansas City Star? Or moving shortly thereafter to the Washington Post?

    Think about it. A talented writer coming out of college right into a metro. This rarely happens anymore. Fehr and his generation were luckier than they want to admit.
     
  7. Twoback

    Twoback Active Member

    Not sure you're right about that.
    I didn't go directly metro, but close enough.
    And I know how lucky I was. I came in when the money was getting decent and the jobs not as scarce. It's a shame what is happening now.
     
  8. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    Okaaaaaay. Will report back.


    Yeah, it's great. But I was right. I'm tearing up, and I don't do that, much.
     
  9. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    It happens more often than you think. Still impressive as hell though...
     
  10. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    could be my own story, whenever my time comes.

    NOW i'm tearing up. :'( :'( :'(
     
  11. friend of the friendless

    friend of the friendless Active Member

    Sirs, Madames,

    Worth framing. Heart-felt. Heart-breaking, but not maudlin or self-absorbed. More about the business and the people in it than himself.

    YD&OHS, etc
     
  12. OTD

    OTD Well-Known Member

    One thing that interested me is that his mother and several other relatives were newspaper people. I wonder how many of our kids would be interested in a career in journalism after the crap we've all put up with over the past several years.
     
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