Poll: Are you still working in journalism?

I'd be curious how many people on this board never worked in sports journalism. Seems there's at least a handful.

Me, no more. Happy with my gig as a diplomat.

 

I've been out of journalism for awhile.

The last sports story I wrote was in 2010.

I wrote four freelance pieces (non-sports) last year. Two, I was very well-paid for, one I did for free as a favor and the other I did for free because I wanted to get in good with the editor of a certain site. That didn't exactly work out too well because the editor left the site about three months later.

I've written twice this year.

I still get very strange freelance calls, usually for assignments and amount of $$$ that I would have turned down as a starving college kid.

 

Out for five years now. (I can't belive that.)

Freelanced preps for a couple of random seasons. Freelanced for an alumni mag for a while. Now freelancing some features for a sports section, and really enjoying it.

It won't be as a beat writer or probably even in sports or newspapers, but I'll probably be back in at some point in a larger capacity, once I get some things paid down/off, the house in particular, and maybe get the kids' college funds and the retirement account really on solid ground.

 

I was a sports reporter for 22 years and then a sports editor for 11 more. Now I work in the marketing department of an engineering firm, where I do quite a bit of writing of a totally different kind, and also do some free-lance sports writing on the side. I've been out about 1.5 years. I miss the news business but absolutely, positively DO NOT miss dealing with Gannett and all its crap. Being away from Gannett has been great.

 

Long since out of daily print journalism.

Period of years. Less than 10, more than five.

Spent more time typing this post than I have actively missing the business since I left.

 

Still in it.

 

Out more than five years now, after a career mostly in news, with a year and some bullpen appearances in sports.

I will never go back. Not that anyone has been clamoring.

 

Versatile's sig says it all for me.

And regarding KJIM's question ... other than serving as an "interim" sports editor for a few months while my small daily was between SE's, I've always balanced sports and news, both as a reporter and as a copy editor/paginator.

Since becoming a copy editor about 15 years ago (soon after my son was born), I've pitched in a lot on Friday nights, for playoff games, the occasional college gamer and a few sports feature stories/columns. I enjoy keeping my hand in writing (and photography), and at several different shops, sports editors are always more open to me helping with reporting than the news side.

I always figured if I leave the business, I'd still be in demand as a stringer/freelancer for gamers and sports features ... on whatever medium exists.

 

Now a high school English teacher, but still work a Friday night and/or Saturday night shift on the sports desk at the paper where I spent 14 years. Just can't get out of it.

 

Yes. Publishes 3 or 4 times a year with features on prominent alums, class notes, calendar of events (such as reunions) and obituaries. In fact, the golf tournament I'm writing about was just a bunch of high school friends from the mid '60s to the early '70s who get together to laugh, drink and play golf. The event has evolved into a fundraiser for a scholarship in the name of one guy's daughter, who died from cancer at age 24.

 

That's nice. That matches the effort from my university to connect alumni.

 

Laid off, but getting enough interest and I think something is about to happen with a newspaper. I thought at age 55 that I'd be ignored, but that hasn't been the case, even with online gigs. In fact, I turned down a copy chief offer on a website, partly because of money and partly because I think the owner is clueless. This was two months ago and they reposted the opening, so obviously there was no Plan B and they still haven't filled it. I still consider myself an editor. I really have no Plan B, either.

There are a lot of people out there offering lousy pay. On the one I'm hoping for, I think we are both being reasonable, and our standard of living would improve.