See you later...

Journalism, I'm over you.

All through grade school and college I was so in love with you. Even through my first couple of years as a journalist, the romance continued. But as I'm creeping of on five years as a professional journalist, I think I'm over you.

My eye is starting to wander. I've been looking into public relations and communication work with non-profits.

I won't stray too far from you though. I'm hoping to work with a non-profit or organization with a mission I believe in and help them get their word out.

You're just not your old self anymore, I know I've said it before. Nowadays it's just about "feeding the beast," and it doesn't matter with what. Celebrity gossip and cute pets take front page while news on local government and keeping tabs on elected officials gets buried between the obituaries and an advertisement.

I could go on and on about the differences between you and your former self, but I won't. And maybe this won't be a permanent goodbye, just a "see you later." Maybe after the industry stabilizes and emphasis is put back on your practice rather than how much (excess) money you can make, we can give it anther try. I wish I could hang on and wait it out, but I can't.

Best,
Janelle

I.S.O. real journalism

I graduated from college with a load of debt, a print journalism degree and visions of what I thought a career as a journalist would be like.

I’m starting to think that those visions were naïve if not completely outdated.

Classes and research on journalism of the past had me thinking that I’d be able to change the world with tough, hard-hitting stories. I thought I’d have the time to do in depth series and features on issues of concern to the world. I thought that at the end of the day, everything I did, and my newspaper did, would all be in the name of quality journalism.

Nope.

I don’t have time to do those stories I dreamed of, instead I’m bogged down with a lot of other random stories and tasks. And I feel like even if I did have the time, there wouldn’t be the space. Advertisements and obituaries sometimes seem like the priority since they bring in the money.
It’s all about the bottom line, everywhere I go.

Maybe my original visions of journalism do still exist. Maybe I’m just not at the point in my career where I can do what I want. I guess I’m still paying my dues.

I hope that’s the case and not what many have suggested – that the world of journalism that used to exist and inspire is no more.

Either way, I’m going to keep searching until I find it…