Just Jack Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I just want to get a press pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 it's an industry in transition. i don't have any interest in it because the interesting aspect of it is dead, in my opinion. journalism used to be about investigation...digging for the truth. these days, the history channel, learning channel, and discovery channel do more investigative journalism than any news outfit. all they do is gather the What Happened of daily, weekly, and monthly events. They hire talking heads to yammer about these events ad nauseum. They create shows where one head of this political persuasion incites another head of the opposite persuasion, and vice versa. they create bogus stories like the "summer of the sharks" a couple years ago. It's almost creepy, as if there's some order from on high for news outlets to fill people's mind with dreck to distract them or keep them sucking on the teat of complacency. There were no more shark attacks that summer than any other summer on record. The news media simply decided they'd create a thing out of a couple instances that are usually relegated, correctly, to local news stories. Well, it sold advertising so the other news outfits had to follow suit. It's a joke. Journalism is dead. And there's no better icon for its death than Dan Fuggin Rather. 276737[/snapback] Wow. So, journalism is equated to whatever is on television, right? Interesting. My brother, an award-winning reporter (yeah, I'm bragging!) with 16 years of experience, would argue otherwise. He's been doing investigative reporting for a while now and dong so, get this, in PRINT media. Maybe it isn't considered 'journalism', but he's respected just the same. That's what I went to school for. Obviously, that's not what I'm doing. 1. The hours suck. 2. The pay sucks. 3. I'm not good enough. 276746[/snapback] 1. You're right there. The story my brother is getting an award for required many 14 hour days. And I B word the few times I have to work 10 hour days to bank up credit hours! 2. Varies. Depends on where you work, seniority, performance, etc. 3. I doubt that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 The first three years of my professional career were spent as a journalist after being an editor of some publication or another from junior high and college as well as summer internships. And while that was in the mid-1980s, I can tell you that things not only have changed, but they've changed for the worse. In no particular order... 1) Money sucks, sucks, sucks and anyone who says money isn't important has never had enough to blow. You only make money in journalism by switching jobs. 2) Journalism is in your blood. You can either do it or you can't. For every breaking story, sexy interview or front page above-the-fold byline, there are 18 city council meetings that last until 2 a.m. because people think they were elected so they could put their ego on parade. You leave at 2 a.m., have the story ready by 6:30 a.m., and collect your measley paycheck made out to "Self-inflicting idiot." 3) There is something inherently uncomfortable showing up at political rally where only 102 people show up, but having to write "More than 100 showed up..." while you are also reporting about 11 students who passed a national excellence exam (the highest number in years), and having to write that "only fewer than a dozen passed." 4) It becomes tiresome chasing down a personal injury accident or house fire an hour before deadline, and calling in from the scene to report what you found and having your editor repeatedly ask "Is anyone dead? No? Take your time coming back." And never forget the basic rule of writing your lead sentence. "Never open a story with a quote unless the pope says 'sh--.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Many posters here are highly skilled at writing. I don't include myself in that group, but many of TSWallers write better than some guys that write for major newspapers. I for one, consider getting paid for writing about sports a dream job. Even if it wasn't about the Bills. Some of you younger guys should really consider getting into journalism as a profession. 276723[/snapback] i thought about it.....years ago. i went to college with the intention of getting an internship at a local TV station for the purpose of sports writing and reporting. i got two internships...one in Syracuse..(the other in Rochester)...and it was an incredible experience....but there was always some ass kisser you had to look over your shoulder for.....unfortunately for me....the ass kisser that came up behind me had a lot better writing talent than i. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 it's an industry in transition. i don't have any interest in it because the interesting aspect of it is dead, in my opinion. journalism used to be about investigation...digging for the truth. 276737[/snapback] this is a pretty good post. when i was in college the one thing they hammered on...is the reporter or writer shouldn't be the story. Now....with the likes of Peter Jennings...these talking heads on Fox.....Dan Rather.....the whole unProfessional lot at ESPN,.,,et.al......they not only think they are the story....they think they are bigger than the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 this is a pretty good post. when i was in college the one thing they hammered on...is the reporter or writer shouldn't be the story. Now....with the likes of Peter Jennings...these talking heads on Fox.....Dan Rather.....the whole unProfessional lot at ESPN,.,,et.al......they not only think they are the story....they think they are bigger than the story. 276886[/snapback] I don't think that the print media is nearly as ridiculous as broadcast media can be at times. There are some publications out there that have excellent writers working for them. You want to read some great investigative reporting? Read the Wall Street Journal. They have some of the best reporters in the business. Considering their beat, they pretty much have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted March 16, 2005 Author Share Posted March 16, 2005 Every last one of you that complained about the pay better not never B word and moan whenever a player leaves for more money. Double standard, isn't? And don't give me any b.s. about what's one extra million when he already has so much, because whether your rich or poor, one million is still a lot of cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I don't think that the print media is nearly as ridiculous as broadcast media can be at times. There are some publications out there that have excellent writers working for them. You want to read some great investigative reporting? Read the Wall Street Journal. They have some of the best reporters in the business. Considering their beat, they pretty much have to. 276894[/snapback] agreed....the WSJ is in a class all its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 agreed....the WSJ is in a class all its own. 276898[/snapback] Sure is. I remember when my brother and I went to see the movie, "The Insider". They had a part when Al Pacino's character (a producer at "60 Minutes") went to an editor of the Journal and asked him to sit on a story until he had time to check it's authenticity. Yeah, right. Like they can't authenticate a story by themselves; they need 60 Minutes to do it for them. Hahaha!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Sure is. I remember when my brother and I went to see the movie, "The Insider". They had a part when Al Pacino's character (a producer at "60 Minutes") went to an editor of the Journal and asked him to sit on a story until he had time to check it's authenticity. Yeah, right. Like they can't authenticate a story by themselves; they need 60 Minutes to do it for them. Hahaha!!! 276906[/snapback] when you say your brother....do you mean the "award winning journalist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 when you say your brother....do you mean the "award winning journalist? 276912[/snapback] Yes. I only have one brother and one sister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I did it for a little while for a couple of internet websites but (imagine this) couldn't get along with the editors. I decided at that point it was either start my own publication (pretty time consuming/costly) or post whore at TSW. Guess which I chose? 276739[/snapback] Are there any websites other than "internet websites"? Incidentally, I did that too for a while. It was fun, but it didn't pay nearly enough (nor give me enough exposure) for me to quit my day job. Also worked in SID in college. If someone came along and offered me a decent living to do it full time? I'd do it in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodnarb Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Wow. So, journalism is equated to whatever is on television, right? Interesting. My brother, an award-winning reporter (yeah, I'm bragging!) with 16 years of experience, would argue otherwise. He's been doing investigative reporting for a while now and dong so, get this, in PRINT media. Maybe it isn't considered 'journalism', but he's respected just the same. I didn't mean to imply that at all, but I can see why you might think so based on what I wrote. I just listed the ones that came to mind. I guess I should have acknowledged that there's a lot of good investigative journalism is in the print world, but the sad fact of the matter is, 90% of the us population gets their news from television, and more people hear about news from the likes of comedians than they do the written word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I didn't mean to imply that at all, but I can see why you might think so based on what I wrote. I just listed the ones that came to mind. I guess I should have acknowledged that there's a lot of good investigative journalism is in the print world, but the sad fact of the matter is, 90% of the us population gets their news from television, and more people hear about news from the likes of comedians than they do the written word. 276934[/snapback] No argument there. Many do get their news from TV and TV alone. I try to get a cross section of news, so I get different viewpoints. I don't just watch CNN or Fox News when I do watch TV news, I also watch local, network, and the 'cable' networks (BBC is pretty decent). I also check out mags like Newsweek, Time, and US News. I read the Journal occasionally, since I don't subscribe to it and unless you go to a library to read the papers there, there's no free Journal. Even the website costs. I read the Washington Post, NY Times, Erie Times (gotta support my big bro's paper), Sacramento Bee (I like this one), USA Today, and a few others online. We get the Baltimore Sun at the house, so I'll check that out as well. I don't listen to much news on the radio. I used to listen to NPR sometimes (All Things Considered), but not very often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted March 16, 2005 Author Share Posted March 16, 2005 No argument there. Many do get their news from TV and TV alone. I try to get a cross section of news, so I get different viewpoints. I don't just watch CNN or Fox News when I do watch TV news, I also watch local, network, and the 'cable' networks (BBC is pretty decent). I also check out mags like Newsweek, Time, and US News. I read the Journal occasionally, since I don't subscribe to it and unless you go to a library to read the papers there, there's no free Journal. Even the website costs. I read the Washington Post, NY Times, Erie Times (gotta support my big bro's paper), Sacramento Bee (I like this one), USA Today, and a few others online. We get the Baltimore Sun at the house, so I'll check that out as well. I don't listen to much news on the radio. I used to listen to NPR sometimes (All Things Considered), but not very often. 276948[/snapback] What, no El Jazeera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Only when I'm vacationing in the mountains of........... Oh. Never mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I'm in school majoring in Journalism currently, although I freely admit that I do NOT want to be writing news stories the rest of my life. Rather, I'm hoping to get involved in magazines and be more of a commentator. I considered Broadcast Journalism for awhile, since I work part time at a radio station in Toledo, but I'm just not interested in being a big commercial whore the rest of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 it's an industry in transition. i don't have any interest in it because the interesting aspect of it is dead, in my opinion. journalism used to be about investigation...digging for the truth. these days, the history channel, learning channel, and discovery channel do more investigative journalism than any news outfit. all they do is gather the What Happened of daily, weekly, and monthly events. They hire talking heads to yammer about these events ad nauseum. They create shows where one head of this political persuasion incites another head of the opposite persuasion, and vice versa. they create bogus stories like the "summer of the sharks" a couple years ago. It's almost creepy, as if there's some order from on high for news outlets to fill people's mind with dreck to distract them or keep them sucking on the teat of complacency. There were no more shark attacks that summer than any other summer on record. The news media simply decided they'd create a thing out of a couple instances that are usually relegated, correctly, to local news stories. Well, it sold advertising so the other news outfits had to follow suit. It's a joke. Journalism is dead. And there's no better icon for its death than Dan Fuggin Rather. 276737[/snapback] I was going to post the same thing. News is now info-tainment or info-ghanda. Independent invesigative journalism is being hunted into extinction, at least in the U.S. Tonight, watch the news, especially the local news, and count how many REAL news stories there are, and how many are puff piece human interest , entertainment news, product promotions disguised to look like news, or just garden variety drivel. In Buffalo, when was the last time any news organization asked hard questions as to why the city is going down the sewer pipe? Don Henley said it best "...we all know that CRAP IS KING, give us DIRTY LAUNDRY!" PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I'm in school majoring in Journalism currently, although I freely admit that I do NOT want to be writing news stories the rest of my life. Rather, I'm hoping to get involved in magazines and be more of a commentator. 276972[/snapback] Like this guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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