sportsjournalism today

intriguing stuff here, especially in revealing the backscratching, backbiting, wholly unethical circular world of agents/journos/sources. that is, the world made nauseatingly apparent when Rachel Nichols obliviously referred to Adam Mendelsohn as a "friend" -- not a source to be cultivated and understood to have its own clearly obvious agenda and leverage -- and no one seemed to notice.

Is Sports Writing a Fun Job?

 

Interesting. I imagine writing and reporting on people, finding out what makes them tick is always interesting - but I also know the well-written feature is hardly the coin of the realm these days. "The job" has become more about tweets and takes. Or at least how "the best" are seemed to be recognized.

 

Stein not seeing a movie in 10 years and Shams stopping playing pick-up basketball, though neither surprising, are anecdotes that really struck me. I wonder what it's like for the reporters in this era with, as Woj put it in one of the links (from 2016), a "365-day-a-year" job who have partner/children. Or what happens once the reporter adds partner/children.

 

When everybody owns a printing press or a television station, the ability to control what's being printed or transmitted is lost. Technology has given the entire planet those tools -- in the form of smart phones, the Internet and social media. Traditional deadlines are now obsolete. Anybody -- especially the performers themselves -- is on even ground with the ESPNs and the New York Times of the world, at a much greater speed and efficiency.

It doesn't have to be well-written or well-photographed any more. It just has to be first, fast and free. That unfortunately doesn't make any money for the content producers because you'll never keep up, unless you can provide a perspective that's unique and resonates with whatever audience you're trying to reach.

I don't know what the answer is. But you have to be prepared to get out -- or get thrown out -- just as much as you prepare to get in. There aren't a lot of great ways to make a living, but enough people are making a living doing other things. Covering the Warriors is awesome until it isn't. Or NASCAR. Or the PGA. Or the local high school.

Have a Plan B, even if that's the worst-case option. There's no job worth literally killing yourself over.

And the comments show that other professions -- particularly teaching and nursing -- are in the same meat grinder.

 

There are definitely other meat grinders out there besides journalism. Nursing has always been one, but it's become worse in the last 18 months for obvious reasons.

But there are jobs with a better balance. Or, at the very least, a more humane approach to work.

I got out of journalism earlier this year. I had been searching for a fit for three years. I finally got a lifeline through some connections, nailed the interview, and escaped.

One of the first things my new boss said during my first week was that it would take a year or so to feel comfortable in the new gig, to own it.

I was floored. Can you imagine anyone in journalism saying, "Hey, don't stress out if you don't own the beat for a year or so?"

Shit, some editors will start looking at you sideways if you're not breaking news in the first month.

So, yes, other gigs are hard. They're a grind. But there's something rotten in the work culture in journalism and it's running the good, talented people out of the industry and killing those who can't escape.

 

Month? C'mon, man!

 

1880: "These telegraph deadlines are killing me."

1910: "I can't take all the train travel."

1920: "They expect me to write and rewrite for all six daily editions."

1935: "On top of everything else, now I have to do radio three times a week."

1950: "I can't take all the flying."

1960: "On top of the paper and the radio, now the publisher wants me to write and host the coach's weekly TV show."

1970: "League expansion is killing me."

1980: "Since the publisher bought the team, on top of the paper and the radio and the TV, now they want me to write and edit the team magazine."

2000: "My second wife kept the dog."

2010: "I have 750,000 Marriott points."

2020: "I'm freelancing a podcast."

 

Yours made me think of the "RIP Steve Ellis" thread ...

 

Glad I came along when I did and then got out.

I do miss the Marriott points, though.

 

Did it for 23 years. Loved every second.

Been out for almost 10 years.

Took a long time to square being out.

But I'm glad I'm out.