Comments on: Finding themselves http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/ a group discussion about the future of student media Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:56:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Brian Thompson http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46499 Brian Thompson Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:15:18 +0000 http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46499 Great question, and good points. I was thinking about this recently as I watched one of our top former reporters who landed a job at a pretty decent-sized regional paper here in Florida get fed up there after only 6 months and start looking at a job teaching elementary school kids. WO! Seems like a combination of things for him, and I think in general for most: bad pay, low on totem pole, went from high involvement in college paper where he won an SPJ regional mark of excellence award to A&E fluff. I think there is such a romantic idea of journalism, but for most, they're getting started at smaller papers where they're not even writing obits and doing cop reports (that might be fun) but get relegated to stories on grandmas for feature sections. I think if we need to impress upon them that it's going to be a long climb to get where they want to be — it was for me. But students also expect big rewards quicker, and sometimes they're finding they're going from sophisticated college publications to newspapers that are 5-10 years behind the times. This would be a great question to wrestle with more, maybe on a larger scale (with CMA, SPJ and professional media), as I bet you've noticed what is a pretty wide-spread trend and that will only get more pressing as this industry tries to restock with the next generation of innovative journalist. Great question, and good points. I was thinking about this recently as I watched one of our top former reporters who landed a job at a pretty decent-sized regional paper here in Florida get fed up there after only 6 months and start looking at a job teaching elementary school kids. WO!

Seems like a combination of things for him, and I think in general for most: bad pay, low on totem pole, went from high involvement in college paper where he won an SPJ regional mark of excellence award to A&E fluff. I think there is such a romantic idea of journalism, but for most, they’re getting started at smaller papers where they’re not even writing obits and doing cop reports (that might be fun) but get relegated to stories on grandmas for feature sections. I think if we need to impress upon them that it’s going to be a long climb to get where they want to be — it was for me. But students also expect big rewards quicker, and sometimes they’re finding they’re going from sophisticated college publications to newspapers that are 5-10 years behind the times.

This would be a great question to wrestle with more, maybe on a larger scale (with CMA, SPJ and professional media), as I bet you’ve noticed what is a pretty wide-spread trend and that will only get more pressing as this industry tries to restock with the next generation of innovative journalist.

]]> By: Mindy McAdams http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46136 Mindy McAdams Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:14:13 +0000 http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46136 A student was in my office recently, talking about the disillusionment of her first job. She's getting to go out and report, but the newspaper covers a very affluent area, and many of her assignments have been -- as she put it -- "product placements." I suggested that her next job might afford chances to cover more meaningful stories. But she seemed resigned, and already thinking about her next career. What's that line from Ginsburg? "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked ..." Not my generation, but the up-and-coming one. Not all of them, of course. But it seems a lot of them get turned off not because they are "too good" for the entry-level stories, but rather because today's entry-level stories can be really offensive to someone who's just been through a bunch of classes that emphasized the importance and power of journalism. A student was in my office recently, talking about the disillusionment of her first job. She’s getting to go out and report, but the newspaper covers a very affluent area, and many of her assignments have been — as she put it — “product placements.” I suggested that her next job might afford chances to cover more meaningful stories. But she seemed resigned, and already thinking about her next career.

What’s that line from Ginsburg? “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked …” Not my generation, but the up-and-coming one. Not all of them, of course. But it seems a lot of them get turned off not because they are “too good” for the entry-level stories, but rather because today’s entry-level stories can be really offensive to someone who’s just been through a bunch of classes that emphasized the importance and power of journalism.

]]> By: Marco Santana http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46130 Marco Santana Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:20:49 +0000 http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46130 Oops. Got the Web site wrong. Oops. Got the Web site wrong.

]]> By: Marco Santana http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46129 Marco Santana Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:19:46 +0000 http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/07/01/finding-themselves/#comment-46129 I also see this as a student. Speaking with past colleagues from the school newspaper and a few fellow seniors, a lot of very talented student journalists are discouraged by their school experience. They work long hours on top of their academic commitments and get frustrated. Unfortunately, some of them don't realize that it will be different when you get that degree and can focus on journalism and work only. I think a way advisers could help is by telling them about the good side of professional journalism, instead of slipping into near daily conversations about how print media is dying, conglomerates are ruining the newspaper world, people don't trust journalists and they're underpaid, etc. Yeah, the truth is great. Student journalists should be told the truth about journalism. But not all of the truth about journalism is negative. Maybe then the students won't spend time after college "finding themselves" because they'll have already found their calling - whether it be continuing in journalism or not - during their time at school. Since I started school in 2003, it's always been a goal to get a job at a newspaper. So, from my perspective, I don't understand the phenomenon. But advisers should remind student journalists why they chose journalism. I also see this as a student. Speaking with past colleagues from the school newspaper and a few fellow seniors, a lot of very talented student journalists are discouraged by their school experience. They work long hours on top of their academic commitments and get frustrated.

Unfortunately, some of them don’t realize that it will be different when you get that degree and can focus on journalism and work only. I think a way advisers could help is by telling them about the good side of professional journalism, instead of slipping into near daily conversations about how print media is dying, conglomerates are ruining the newspaper world, people don’t trust journalists and they’re underpaid, etc.

Yeah, the truth is great. Student journalists should be told the truth about journalism. But not all of the truth about journalism is negative. Maybe then the students won’t spend time after college “finding themselves” because they’ll have already found their calling - whether it be continuing in journalism or not - during their time at school.

Since I started school in 2003, it’s always been a goal to get a job at a newspaper. So, from my perspective, I don’t understand the phenomenon. But advisers should remind student journalists why they chose journalism.

]]>