In a World of Online News, Burnout Starts Younger

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/business/media/19press.html?src=me&ref=general 

It seems like eons ago when I used to spend hours collecting news leads; when my little Toyota Corolla was brimming with old newspapers, pens, pencils and dozens of reporter's pads; when my heart would race for at least a day after my story was published (especially if it was A1), hoping there weren't any voice mail messages from disgruntled readers, complaints or my worst nightmare (which was realized on several occasions) -- a phone call from an editor befuddled or upset about an error. 

I had grand dreams, like so many other reporters, to make my way to larger newspapers and perhaps one day become a foreign correspondent.  I still remember an editor discouraging my pipe dream, saying such opportunities are only for "veteran" reporters and are few and far between.  Oh well.

Over seven years, I learned the basics from about a dozen different news and feature editors.  All these men taught me everything that forms a journalist: the inverted pyramid, nut graphs, leads, quotes, note-taking,  interviewing and reporting skills -- all of it remains with me 'till this day.    However, none of them could teach the passion, organic curiosity and inquisitiveness that comes with reporting late night planning and zoning meetings, school and municipal election nights and those quiet octogenarians that made a mark on their community.

It takes patience and TIME.  Time to think; time to ask questions; time for that newsworthy quote or news bite; time to write; time to edit.  Yes, we had strict deadlines, but we also had editors who wouldn't compromise a story -- compromise a reader's RIGHT to know the facts for the sake of time.  

One day, five years ago, I lost the passion, curiosity and inquisitiveness.  After all, the reporters are only as good as their editors expect them to be.  In my case, I saw the editors lose faith in their product which effected the productivity in the newsroom.  In a span of four years. six reporters and one editor resigned -- three (including myself) moved on to completely different careers.

I was watching my industry fall apart and it wasn't pretty. I continue to read about  journalists (through their writing and mishaps) fall into the trap of industry pressures -- pressure for numbers, quota, revenue.  As far as I'm concerned, the new media techies haven't found a friendly way to compromise with the traditional newspaper format -- instead, it's collecting "reporters" who are writing for the wrong type of attention.

It's sad to hear John Stewart is the general public's most trusted news source.  The news media once had a dignified, respectable, and honorable reputation and breaking the backs of young journalists, who think they are reporting the news when the agenda is more spurious in nature, is not going to restore the industry's former self.

I never thought I would say this, but I felt smarter playing Jeopardy from the comfort of my television set than watching a live taping of the show in Culver City, L.A.  No doubt, Alex Trebek is sassy and playful, but there was NO escaping the "entertainment" aspect of Hollywood -- the right facial expressions; intonations; the back and forth banter; the audience's fixed reaction, etc.  It was all played and overplayed and replayed so that the best face of Jeopardy is shown on T.V. in this pretty (almost flawless) package. And it is that staged aspect of the taping that made me feel out of my skin; out of sorts; in an artificial world.   Of course, none of the above took away from the absolute thrill of watching the most authentic part of the taping -- the reaction of the contestants, watching their brains choose categories; their nervous anticipation and exhalation (or sigh of anxiety) when they stumbled upon a Daily Double ; the defeated look on their faces when they lost a large sum of money or were in the "red."  And then there is Alex's dry, jaded and punchy sense of humor that comes out when he's interviewing the contestants or reading the answers from the categories.   What really sealed the deal is how the show was truly nostalgic, bringing about a continuous sense of constructive competition and a huge learning curve.

Why stoop so low?   People now publish, say, write, market, shout out insolent words under the guise of "honesty."  What happen to the consequences if any?  And why so much negativity when our time can be better spent on endeavors that help us evolve, not stunt growth and turn us into idiots.  Are people so jaded, they forgot the different between right and wrong much less common human decency? No wonder there are so many movies out there about humanity destroying itself because of its own idiot ways. 

It seemed everyone wanted something today -- Greenpeace outside of Trader's Joe's; ACLU outside of Nob Hill Supermarket; and a local homeless organization outside of Target.  I was at a loss. With so many millions and millions of "causes" and groups, organizations, outfits, agendas -- how do you choose? (Personally, I wish I could give it to all of them) Do we base it on our experiences or our personal tastes?  It begs the question -- how should  we define priorities?  Are we being selfish taking care of ourselves first? In the end, I decided to give my money to the homeless organization.