So what's everybody doing?

[Sneed]

I'm just curious what everyone's doing out there as they try to make the best of this crappy time in print journalism. What dreams are you pursuing, what opportunities are you chasing, what chances are you taking?

Etc....?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Keeping my fingers crossed that I will continue to receive a paycheck.

 

[mustangj17]

Every opportunity I pursue ends with a hiring freeze, or company scaling back, or consolidating. Not a good time to move up the ladder.

 

[Some Guy]

Drinking. Heavily.

 

[MileHigh]

Same as Some Guy. Have been since early December.

Looking daily -- hourly -- for jobs. Nothing out there.

Two more paychecks coming. Doing some freelance stuff, but nothing major. It's not pretty.

 

[pallister]

I decided to go back to school — never got my degree after 15 years in the biz — but I was lucky to get hired back at a paper I worked for previously in the meantime. Of course, no jobs are safe these days, so I hope to stay employed at least until I can finish my course work next spring.

 

[Sneed]

I decided to go back to school — never got my degree after 15 years in the biz — but I was lucky to get hired back at a paper I worked for previously in the meantime. Of course, no jobs are safe these days, so I hope to stay employed at least until I can finish my course work next spring.

Best of luck, man. I mean it.

Same to all of you.

 

[farmerjerome]

I have a post on the freelance board letting everyone know that I can cover stuff in New York.

Other than that, I'm trying to find a way to work through all the energy I used to expend covering sports.

 

[playthrough]

As a freelancer, trying to diversify like crazy. Focusing on one sport -- or sports as a genre -- isn't enough. I did PR copy, ghostwriting and advertising copy when I was starting out as a freelancer, and am now circling back to those clients again. It's not a bad thing.

 

[Blitz]

I transitioned to elementary/middle school teaching here in Texas.
Will make more money and the work will be more meaningful, I think.
Hours will be better, too.

Good luck to all who are staying in the biz, though.
I still support all of you who have well-meaning endeavors.
As for any of you shock journos and shock media types - get a life.

 

[RickStain]

Hanging out on SportsJournalists.com all day.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Expending a great deal of energy on the revenue-generating side of the equation.

And a damned sight less time around here.

 

[Joe Williams]

Keeping family and friends close. Job didn't love me back in the best of times. Sure as hell doesn't now.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Every opportunity I pursue ends with a hiring freeze, or company scaling back, or consolidating. Not a good time to move up the ladder.

Not a good time to be on the ladder. Every non-management newspaper job I've ever applied for (much less held) has been zero-budgeted and whoever held that job (including those hired behind me) has been laid off. One of the management jobs went out of existence when the newspaper folded its tent.

 

[shotglass]

I'm watching Craig Ferguson.

Craig Ferguson is good.

Soon, I expect to grab another Diet Coke from the fridge.

That should get me to tomorrow.

 

[anotherjrcsurvivor]

Shot... Craig's taking six months off from touring, but when that self-imposed furlough is over, go catch his weekend stand-up act. He usually does Friday and Saturday shows in the same region of the country (hence the reason his Friday TV show is taped on Thursdays). And he's twice as good on weekends in person as he is weekdays on TV -- and that's quite a feat. I've seen him once each of last two years.

 

[shotglass]

I very much want to ... thanks.

 

[Fredrick]

Craig Ferguson is an amazing talent.

Professionally I'm doing what I've always done, assuming any day could be the last at this company. Like many of you, think it would be best for me if the end came.

 

[JackReacher]

I decided to go back to school — never got my degree after 15 years in the biz — but I was lucky to get hired back at a paper I worked for previously in the meantime. Of course, no jobs are safe these days, so I hope to stay employed at least until I can finish my course work next spring.

Good luck. It's not easy, working full time and going to school full time, but plow through and you'll be glad you did.

 

[silvershadow1981]

I'm torn between pursuing the dream of a sports news-specific website and teaching and or coaching a sport on the high school level. I know I won't be at my current job much longer because I'm homesick and quite frankly, as a previous poster said, family and friends will love you when this job doesn't.