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.
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.