Buzzworthy Blog Post

A friend of mine posted a link to this blog that just about any news person would find fascinating- as it is something that everyone in the biz talks about. In fact a link to the blog has been posted by several of my journalism friends since it surfaced Wednesday. When you get into the news business you have many aspirations- to be the super hero journalist to save the day, right the wrong, tell people the truth. You want to make a difference and you are willing to knock down doors to do so-- then reality sets in and you realize that its a job- a difficult job, that not everyone can or wants do.

Sadly- it is a journalists job to go to the places many people won't go and to talk to people in grieving and to work long hours covering the standoffs that don't always end peacefully and tell people the bad that's going on in this world. So, there are many journalists who will talk about going to the "dark side" as she puts it.... as all journalists put it.

We are talking about PR. It does pay better right off the bat and the hours can't be beat. There- I said it. I can even admit that when I was a young journalist freezing my butt off covering another snow storm in Alaska I applied and almost landed an awesome PR job.... almost. My history would have been different if I would have been offered that job- the money was undeniable.

But guess what? I'm glad I didn't get it. I worked many years and long hours and scraped by as a cub reporter- but eventually I got better. I also developed a love and respect for my craft- beyond the glitz and glamour. I realize that people depend on me to tell them the stories that matter. I aim to do so with compassion and understanding as a resident of their community. Is it a difficult job? You bet yah. It is not for everyone and I caution young journalists considering the career. It has changed significantly since I started. Journalists must now do more with less.  It is even worse for newspaper journalists.

I am going to stay with this job as long as my bosses and you the viewer will have me because I do love it. Ok, well if I hit the Powerball I'm probably going to hire a marching band to escort me out- because then I will resign... haha- seriously dreaming here. But this woman's blog is noteworthy because she is saying all the things that many of the journalists I know are saying. I'm just not so sure journalism professors are telling students. It's an important conversation... especially in this economy. Then, and only then, if they know the facts and still aspire to become a journalist they should pursue the career.