State of journalism

[Fenian_Bastard]

Kill 500 more people and you can work in upper management.

 

[bballscribe]

Amen to that. Well, I didnt marry an RN, but I see exactly where you're coming from. High school sports is not a bad gig at all. I enjoy writing and covering local prospects before they hit the big time, per say, and coaches and players are more affable and approachable than at the pro levels. As long as I'm writing sports, I'm fine.

This is a very good question and something I've been contemplating for some time now. I've only been writing professionally for four years now since I left college, but I continue to find myself applying for jobs against writers that are way more qualified than me, but also extremely over-qualified for the job we are both applying for. I've been thinking long and hard about heading in a different direction because I'm afraid I'm just going to one day hit a dead end. Mainly those thoughts are do to the question posed on this thread.

Any thoughts? I mean, how tough is it now, or becoming, for someone like me to actually advance when it seems others are dropping just in order to have a job and taking those stepping stones that used to be for guys in my situation?

 

[scalper]

There was a recent movie about newspapers. The Titanic.

 

[DyePack]

There was a recent movie about newspapers. The Titanic.

"So, are you ready to go back to Titanic?"

And then Celene Dion starts screeching.

 

[Tom Petty]

maybe the sky is falling and we're too stupid to see it.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ocregister30sep30,1,1487928.story?coll=la-headlines-business


WTF ... one after another, after another, after ...

shirt is going to start adding up one day.

 

[Billy Monday]

maybe the sky is falling and we're too stupid to see it.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ocregister30sep30,1,1487928.story?coll=la-headlines-business


WTF ... one after another, after another, after ...

shirt is going to start adding up one day.

How many people in the OC Register newsroom?
I hate when stories on cutbacks don't say.

 

[sartrean]

maybe the sky is falling and we're too stupid to see it.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ocregister30sep30,1,1487928.story?coll=la-headlines-business


WTF ... one after another, after another, after ...

shirt is going to start adding up one day.

I don't work at the OC, but I work at a metro non daily for big gargantuan corporate newspaper company down here in the dirty south.

Today I was told my sports section would be totally phased out effective at the end of football regular season. Stringers and news reporters will handle playoffs, state championships, if needed. Sports will no longer receive any comprehensive coverage at this non daily metro paper.

Reason for the change: advertising clients are reluctant to buy space in the section, claiming most women look at print ads, and most women avoid the sports section.

I have six weeks left of having a job. I have been given the option to work the desk at the big city daily, but will take a $5K per year pay cut. If I had more time with the company, they'd have made room for me in sports at the big city daily.

It's dead. This industry is dead, and the jackwads the run it are cutting out the most popular content in hopes of luring ad clients back or whatever. But I understand this was a business decision and not personal, but when the big gargantuan corporate media daily took us over, the big head cheese, el numero uno honcho told the staff that we all had our jobs if we wanted to continue there, and we'd "have your jobs forever if you want to stay here forever..." I knew that was a load of crap when he said it, but never did look for a job. That's my fault.

The article about the OC Reg said the industry needs to look for new revenue sources. I've been screaming this for three friggin years; video is where it's at. Newspapers need to use the web to sell ads, using video as the medium. Car dealers have all kinds of annoying commercials on TV, and newspapers should produce better commercials for the web, and have those ads open any vid-torial content.

Newspapers could provide better news on the video medium, it could be more indepth rather than the sound bytes common on the evening news at six and 10, or the national news for that matter. Newspaper web sites could also offer a print version of the story in its print edition, and on the web, provide an even lengthier story to go along with the video.

 

[Double J]

There was a recent movie about newspapers. The Titanic.

"So, are you ready to go back to Titanic?"

And then Celene Dion starts screeching.

And then Screech begins to administer Dirty Sanchezes.

 

[Angola!]

maybe the sky is falling and we're too stupid to see it.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ocregister30sep30,1,1487928.story?coll=la-headlines-business


WTF ... one after another, after another, after ...

shirt is going to start adding up one day.

I don't work at the OC, but I work at a metro non daily for big gargantuan corporate newspaper company down here in the dirty south.

Today I was told my sports section would be totally phased out effective at the end of football regular season. Stringers and news reporters will handle playoffs, state championships, if needed. Sports will no longer receive any comprehensive coverage at this non daily metro paper.

Reason for the change: advertising clients are reluctant to buy space in the section, claiming most women look at print ads, and most women avoid the sports section.

I have six weeks left of having a job. I have been given the option to work the desk at the big city daily, but will take a $5K per year pay cut. If I had more time with the company, they'd have made room for me in sports at the big city daily.

It's dead. This industry is dead, and the jackwads the run it are cutting out the most popular content in hopes of luring ad clients back or whatever. But I understand this was a business decision and not personal, but when the big gargantuan corporate media daily took us over, the big head cheese, el numero uno honcho told the staff that we all had our jobs if we wanted to continue there, and we'd "have your jobs forever if you want to stay here forever..." I knew that was a load of crap when he said it, but never did look for a job. That's my fault.

The article about the OC Reg said the industry needs to look for new revenue sources. I've been screaming this for three friggin years; video is where it's at. Newspapers need to use the web to sell ads, using video as the medium. Car dealers have all kinds of annoying commercials on TV, and newspapers should produce better commercials for the web, and have those ads open any vid-torial content.

Newspapers could provide better news on the video medium, it could be more indepth rather than the sound bytes common on the evening news at six and 10, or the national news for that matter. Newspaper web sites could also offer a print version of the story in its print edition, and on the web, provide an even lengthier story to go along with the video.

Just wanted to let you know that that sucks. Sorry about losing your job.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Take the desk job.

 

[espnguy]

I also am sorry to hear about you losing your gig in a few weeks. I've been there, and know what you're feeling. But like the previous poster stated, take the desk job on the big city daily, even if you're taking a pay cut. You'll still have a job, you'll learn skills you may not have already and the experience will not only make you more well-rounded professionally, more importantly it will make you more marketable and give you a leg up on some future jobs against others who may not have the same background that you will acquire.

And you can always do some freelance writing on the side. Some papers even let guys on news side do some occasional stringing for sports for a little extra cash.

Working news-side on the desk may not be where you want to be, and it's not sports, but you might find you actually like it in the long run.

Good luck.

 

[Tom Petty]

sart - i hope you land on your feet no matter what you choose.

douchebags have lost their jobs since the beginning of time. nowadays, though, good people are getting whacked simply for breathing, working theirs asses off and drawing checks.

i truly am sorry life sucks for you right now, but, take the damned desk job, quit spending the $2.50 a day on lattes -- or whatever your $2.50-a-day "latte" is -- and then regroup, and get the fork out. in a way, you're a little lucky as you have time to get your shirt together and move on on your own terms.

a few weeks ago, a buddy of mine showed up at his SE job and his editor called him into his office. editor states: "dude, cooperate says we're going in different directions. even though i don't agree with that choice, i really am sorry, really, but cooperate says get your shirt out of the forking office right now. here's your check ... thanks for the years of service."

cat's replacement sat down at my boy's desk and took over just one hour after he left the building. ... 60 minutes.

the rest of us all should give our editors/publishers a hug today. i'm sure your editor/publisher and my editor/publisher would never do that type of shirt to you and i, right?