Cutbacks

Flash -

Not to presume on our relationship - since we've never really hung out on the same threads - but my impression has always been that you're pretty tough and feisty. The hard-boiled, wise-cracking His Girl Friday/Hildy Johnson/Rosalind Russell type. However true or untrue that may be, now's the time to call on your inner Mame.

I'm kind of surprised to be the first to suggest this after three pages of commiseration and advice, but here it is: You're a writer, so write. Not long ago you posted a piece of yours on another thread and it was quite good. Clearly you can write. So when you're done applying for unemployment, which will take about eleven minutes, start sending out query letters with story ideas to other papers and magazines. There are thousands of them, and they all have to get filled. I'd bet you've got two dozen good ideas in your desk drawer right now - pitches you made to your paper that were never acted on. Use them. Take your expertise and talent and your ideas and turn them into independence.

While it's terrifically satisfying and secure to work at a good paper, you're also harnessed to someone else's agenda and ambitions. And, sadly, competence. It's scary to freelance, certainly, and it takes a while to learn how to live when the paychecks come three months apart, but the freedom and the sense of autonomy and personal satisfaction are hard to imagine if you've always worked for others. Especially dumb others.

I've done nothing but freelance since the early Nineties and wouldn't trade a day of it - insecurity and all - for anything.

It needn't be permanent, either, just a thing you do to keep your mind sharp while you send out resumes to likely newspapers.

You're a writer. Write.

It's the Roz Russell thing to do.

 

i can tell you that i've been laid off twice in my journalism career and both times i ended up landing a better job— after enduring a difficult but thankfully brief period of unemployment.

it's a crisis to be sure, but if you attack the problem it can actually turn into an opportunity. there's hope

 

This is great advice. I started freelancing four months ago, and I've never been happier. The freedom is incredible. The first year or two is a major learning experience. But it's an experience you can acquire while working shorter days and without anyone breathing down your neck.

If you need advice, I'd be happy to offer it, and I'm sure Jgmacg and a host of others also would be happy to provide some pointers.

 

Yikes. I'd avoided reading this thread for a couple of days because I figured the subject matter was depressing.
I had no idea how depressing. It sucks to see one of "our own" get the shaft.

Can't remember who said it, but try to find a way to look at this as an opportunity. I've never been in this situation, but I've been dumped on in this biz and it actually turned out for the better. That's not going to make you feel better, I know, but do know there are people on here who have turned chicken shit into chicken salad. You can do it too.

Good luck.

 

Hey Flash:
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. That's a kick in the ass. File for unemployment. Network like hell. Freelance and file resumes and something will come backlfilNetwork like hell. If you can write sports well, you can write anything, and that will show up in your clips.

 

Do you know how hard Edmonton got hit? I sorta kinda know a guy there.

 

I have no idea, Meat, and I'm trying to find out. If I do, I'll let you know.

 

Ms Flash,

You actually came to mind when a Sun crony gave me the news on Black Tuesday. Any setback can be your springboard: Golden parachute jargon, maybe, but true. Try freelancing for better newspapers. I know by your posts that you are a talent better than your now-former content provider (and, more difficult, I think you believed in Team Sun, etc). Writing well is the best revenge. The best thing you can do is scoop the bastards.

YHS, etc

 

Flash:

My condolences and echo-chambering (is that a word you'd excise from copy or what?) the sentiments around here... while adding another one.

Little Birdscribe and I will be cruising through Ontario in about a week. Should your networking efforts take you there, the grubs' on me.

Good luck with that. Speaking from experience -- 10 months of unemployment, followed by the best gig I've ever had -- your talent will out.

 

My apologies as well. I've been away much of the past two days and had no idea.

I wish the feds would open up the media market to foreign ownership. Most of the media here is controlled by six or seven conglomerates and that is just not good for anyone.

 

Thanks, Flash. Best of luck in this -- losing a job is never fun, but you don't need me telling you that.

 

Jobs are open everywhere.

Many aren't great jobs. But they are jobs.

I can name you six job openings I am aware of in Podunk and the suburbs of Podunk. None are sports jobs, but they are still journalism jobs.