Penn State football beat reporter | Centre Daily Times (State College, PA)

You’re right, and my comments were more about the frustration of anyone

 

That's not what was implied at all. The opposite, in fact.

You're obviously quite the reporter.

 

Reading comprehension must not be your forte. Or perhaps you're just too quick to anger and you misunderstood.

Someone who has done work for two major metro outlets obviously has some degree of talent. I was refuting the notion expressed earlier in the thread that just because he's young does not mean he won't be able to hack it on a Big Ten beat.

 

Parth was a great intern in Denver. Talented young writer. Excited for him to get this opportunity.

 

This is a horrible post.

 

Matt, you've been around here a long time so I respect your opinion. I'm glad someone talented is getting the gig.

That said, the lack of a minor league system in this business anymore makes me weep for people who never get that chance and should. Working the Penn State beat at a 20k (or whatever the circ is now) is still a challenging gig for myriad reasons.

 

College outlets are the minor league system now. Go to a university with a top tier journalism program that provides opportunity for you to do serious journalism for the college paper, get a couple of major metro internships, and if you do well, you're going to have a good shot at a solid college beat job upon graduation.

 

Agreed.
A lot of newsrooms don’t even have full-time preps writers anymore. And that’s a damn shame.

 

All these things can be true. I’m sure the guy is talented, which is why he got the job. But also, things have changed in the industry. It used to be journalist would have to follow a certain path paying their dues. I’m not saying that isn’t the case but sometimes it is not. Also as we all know, money can factor in these decisions as well especially given what’s going on currently

 

PennLive goes nuts on PSU football. They have three people dedicated to the beat.

 

Still? I’m pleasantly surprised.

I wonder how many of the smaller papers that used to travel do so anymore. I’m guessing a large chunk of them don’t.

 

Only archaeologists get paid for living in the past, and most of them get paid like shit.

In an ideal world, there would be plenty of gigs available for young reporters to learn and grow in entry level jobs and then progress up a defined ladder. Sometimes there'd be a star who shoots up a few rungs at a time.

But that's a fantasy. It has been for over a decade.

The people who are succeeding in this business, who are getting prime gigs and moving up the ladder, are the ones who identified the direction the industry is headed and tailored their skills to that direction.

For college students, it's a path like the one this kid took. For people with experience, it's finding ways to stand out while demonstrating flexibility and versatility (source development, multiplatform content, FOIA and investigative reporting, trends and data, etc).

This industry has always been about those who adapt the fastest. It's just even more imperative now. And there is still some luck and a whole lot of networking involved, too.