Is what we do demeaning?

I think Pulitzer has a right to feel as he does. He's a professional yet he watches others make more money and not put up with half the egos and other crap.
Perhaps its time to look at another line of work. One that will pay him more money and feel less demeaning. Let's face it, there aren't too many places outside of journalism hiring guys with a work history of interviewing naked or half-naked athletes.
He's at a crossroad. If you've never been there, you're lucky.

 

The best advice I can give you is to try to turn the recroder off after you've got what you need and shoot the shit with the people you cover for a bit. Can't happen every time, but when you have the time.
After I got what I needed from practice today, I just talked with local football coach for maybe 20 minutes about this that and the next thing. Got him to open up about the problems his team's been having, bash his quarterback, talk about the coaching situation at a near-by school and about the methods of cheating on a college test.
None of it was for print, it's kind of an odd variety, but it's stuff we both enjoyed talking about and it helps build up the relationships.
He's not the only coach or player I deal with that I feel I have a really good connection with and it's talks like this that help.

Hope that helps you.

 

I actually do LOVE journalism. I think the problem is I don't always feel like what I do IS journalism. I appreciate HockeyBeat and amraeder's thoughts about me trying to connect more with the people I cover, but it's not set up that way. It's regimented - boom, boom, boom. It's like a quote assembly machine for everybody, and there's little way around it.

I'm not trying to be a downer or be argumentative. Just trying to give some context.

 

Pulitzer. Try news-side for a bit. Seriously. Not politics or business (at least not state/national politics or big business. They're quote factories, too.) But a cops beat, or GA, or education, or social services or health care. Somewhere you can write stories about real people facing real problems. People who haven't been "media trained" and are often honored to talk to you. Instead of talking to, as Boots put-it, half-naked athletes, on their schedule.

 

I don't think that what we do is demeaning, I know it.

Everyone on this board pretty much knows that I'm okay making a complete ass out of myself. Honestly, that's how I deal with the job. Coaches in my area think I'm a total idiot until they see the finished product.

I'm okay with that, as long as it gets the job done and it keeps me sane.

At least you're not in retail.

 

i think PW put a bit of his heart into his initial post and then a buncha folks responded in a knee-jerk manner. i can understand what he's getting at even if i haven't experienced the same thing.

but, the older i get, the less important the subjects we cover become. throw in a douchebag SID and a bitch quarterback on a beat, and fuck, maybe i'm making the same post if i'm a writer in his position.

there's nothing wrong with questioning what we do ... and i don't think we should bitchslap folks who do as much. we can have a little empathy at times, can't we?

and, btw, i still think waynew is an idiot. the jr. high antics remark was juvenile and uncalled for.

 

Many of the remarks made were juvenile and uncalled for. Pulitzer has lost his zeal for the business and that's understandable. He has an important decision to make.
But instead of wishing him well, the usual clowns, and they know who and what they are, belittle him and think it's funny.
As a whole, the cynical and cliquish behavior by many along here is what you find on any beat, be pro, college or prep.

 

boots, i don't think it had anything to do with cliquish behavior. i think a lotta folks in our business "suck it up" on a daily basis and expect others to do as much without giving honest feedback about how they feel concerning certain subjects.

 

Not everything we do is journalism, so your feelings are valid.

Slinging a shovel isn't as fun as watching the construction from under the supervisor's hat. Both jobs have to be done, though.

When you do get to practice what you consider journalism, enjoy it. Try to do it more often. Seek ways to get better with it if you have someone in the office who can help.

As for connecting with the people you cover, do you ever just call to talk or go by to visit without the intent of digging for a story or looking for quotes? Is there ever time for you to just hang out with someone, and do you take advantage of it?

Some beats or sources provide better avenues to do these things. Others don't and you have to pick and choose your spots on those.


Take a look at yourself, your situation, your goals and what you want to do with your future. Self-assessment isn't a bad thing. It may be time for a change, a complete career overhaul or a few personal changes that could make a difference.

Good luck.

 

I see your point but the cliquish, herd mentality, behavior permeates the business and this message board. There was no excuse for people jumping on Pulitzer because he feels that it might be time to leave the business. This isn't a gang and at times, I too wonder if it's a profession or an existence.
Many of the people who post here aren't making great money. They're struggling. Many of them are writing about people whose lives are arguably more glamorous than their own. After a while, that takes a toll. Unless you're a vegtable, you begin to examine your life and your goals. You ask yourself are the long hours and crappy pay worth it.

 

boots - i've moved up the food chain, from job to job, for several years ... far away from everything i grew accustomed to while growing up. and to be honest, i'm glad we are gangish. some of my best friends are in this profession, and, in the end, they are some of the only folks i can rely on besides mrs. petty and the heartbreakers. no matter what paper i go to, i have a good idea at least one person will have my back, and i don't think that can be said for every profession.

maybe PW should have waited awhile before he posted such a "deep" post. i think i might have drawn a different response if i had posted the same thing.

not all of us are bad, and we do tend to be loyal as hell.

 

The time is right for him. Burnout happens. But what's sad is that the guy came on here looking for answers and got shitted on.