Interesting Times

Most people wouldn’t say this is the most appealing time to go into journalism. Actually, very few people would probably say that. It’s no secret ad revenues are declining, circulation numbers are declining, the economy is in a recession, the sky is falling…..

It seems like most conversations about journalism start with something like, “How can we save newspapers? Is journalism dead? Is local TV over? Will we have newspapers is 10 years?” And the list goes on, and on and on…

Here’s an article from the Wall Street Journal about the fate of local TV.

Here’s one from Time Magazine about how to save newspapers.

I’m not arguing that it’s tough. Everybody knows that. My nine-year brother knows that. Prospects for the news industry look bleak.

However, it’s pretty darn exciting. Times are tough, but that forces us to work harder. We’re forced to find better ways to deliver the news, to see what works and what doesn’t, and to figure what people want to see and read.

Maybe I’m just naive, or looking at the glass half-full, but I think this is one of the most exciting times to go into journalism. Maybe not the most promising for everybody in the business, but it is exciting. I’m tired of people saying, “you sure?,” when I tell them I’m going into journalism.

The media has never been more aware of viewer’s habits and interests, and we’re having conversations that would never take place if everything were golden. But since money is an issue, we (the media) are trying to innovate. We don’t have the luxury of just sticking with the same old system.

We have to go a completely new direction, and that is part of the reason I like interning at the Las Vegas Sun. I’m surrounded by people who are trying innovative things, and looking for ways to make our website better. Stuff may not always work out perfectly, but we’re taking a chance and trying to figure it out.

I like this aspect of being in the media today. Twenty years ago everything was more formulated. People wanted to become a newspaper writer, or a TV anchor, or a photographer. Today the lines have blurred. I just want to be a journalist. I want to tell stories, and I want to figure out cool ways to do so.

And with the ways things are today, I don’t really have another choice. 🙂

Category: Internship Thoughts