Changing Perspectives

I don’t know if my perceptions about journalism ended up changing by the end of the summer but they certainly swung from one end of the spectrum to the next.

At the start of the summer, I was impressed to see how passionate the writers at the Reader were and how much they loved their work. I wanted to be just like the news staff: well informed, experienced in city reporting, and insightful about all city issues. It got me really excited to be a writer and had me eager to do more work and get serious about a journalism career.

However, as the summer went on I watched the unsettling truth unfold as the Reader had to deal with some difficult budget decisions. The print-newspaper model is dying for sure but there is still plenty to be gained online. I sat in on staff meetings where management had to tell some people to work from home while office space was being consolidated and other, similar cuts were made. It has definitely scared me in terms of future job security in the industry and makes me think it could be very risky to pursue a career as a writer.

Still, the one thing I have found is that no one actually knows what the future will hold. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion about which way the wind is blowing but it doesn’t seem like anyone has a better understanding of the situation than anyone else. I think as long as I continue to work hard and perfect my craft, there will be jobs out there.