By Raanan Geberer
An old movie I once saw on TV focused on the relationship
between a crusading lawyer and a crusading journalist. Soon, the lawyer is
elected to office. But the journalist remains a journalist, seemingly forever
consigned to his role on the sidelines.
Traditionally, journalism, unlike law, does not open the door to new careers. But this state of affairs is dramatically out of date. According to a survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the number of newspaper jobs declined from 52,600 in 2007 to 38,000 in 2012. And that doesn’t even take into account magazine jobs.
In addition, an article in the February-March edition of the American Journalism Review reported that of those journalists who left or were laid off from newspapers, only 6 percent found other newspaper jobs. “the rest are doing everything from public relations to teaching to driving a bus and clerking in a liquor store,” the article reads. And we doubt that it’s gotten better since then.
Since so much of what journalists do involves reporting on city, county, state and federal governments, why shouldn’t elected officials or government agencies hire more journalists in managerial or administrative positions? This sometimes happens, but the journalist usually finds himself or herself relegated to the “ghetto” of press secretary.
Why should a journalist or former journalist who has spent 30 years covering education and schools NOT be appointed to a decision-making position with the Department of Education? As it is, these positions are not always filled by education or teaching professionals. A veteran education reporter knows most of the people in important positions, knows the issues, knows the controversies and probably has some opinions on what should be done. He or probably knows a lot more than some lawyer or MBA with little or no direct experience in the field.
The same thing goes for commissions that are appointed for a specific purpose – for example, to investigate the need to clean up a polluted body of water or to look into building a light rail line or to examine why a particular business district is losing money. If there is a journalist or former journalist who is an expert on the relevant topic, why not appoint him or her to the commission? Unfortunately, in most municipalities, the same people – elected officials, business leaders, attorneys, heads of community organizations – are appointed to these bodies over and over and over again. Why not give someone else a chance?
People go into journalism for a variety of reasons, but most will say that one of the reasons is that want to make a difference in their communities. Often, their decision to go into the field made in their teens or early twenties. For veteran, long-time journalists, there is no way they could have foreseen the decline in journalism jobs. Just because they now find themselves in a landscape where new positions in the field are few and far between, does that mean that the knowledge they have gained over the years should be thrown in the trash can? Definitely not! Many have already begun to reassess their roles during the past few years.
In general, society should invite older journalists and former journalists in from the sidelines to become active participants in the political and governmental processes. It can only benefit.
Traditionally, journalism, unlike law, does not open the door to new careers. But this state of affairs is dramatically out of date. According to a survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the number of newspaper jobs declined from 52,600 in 2007 to 38,000 in 2012. And that doesn’t even take into account magazine jobs.
In addition, an article in the February-March edition of the American Journalism Review reported that of those journalists who left or were laid off from newspapers, only 6 percent found other newspaper jobs. “the rest are doing everything from public relations to teaching to driving a bus and clerking in a liquor store,” the article reads. And we doubt that it’s gotten better since then.
Since so much of what journalists do involves reporting on city, county, state and federal governments, why shouldn’t elected officials or government agencies hire more journalists in managerial or administrative positions? This sometimes happens, but the journalist usually finds himself or herself relegated to the “ghetto” of press secretary.
Why should a journalist or former journalist who has spent 30 years covering education and schools NOT be appointed to a decision-making position with the Department of Education? As it is, these positions are not always filled by education or teaching professionals. A veteran education reporter knows most of the people in important positions, knows the issues, knows the controversies and probably has some opinions on what should be done. He or probably knows a lot more than some lawyer or MBA with little or no direct experience in the field.
The same thing goes for commissions that are appointed for a specific purpose – for example, to investigate the need to clean up a polluted body of water or to look into building a light rail line or to examine why a particular business district is losing money. If there is a journalist or former journalist who is an expert on the relevant topic, why not appoint him or her to the commission? Unfortunately, in most municipalities, the same people – elected officials, business leaders, attorneys, heads of community organizations – are appointed to these bodies over and over and over again. Why not give someone else a chance?
People go into journalism for a variety of reasons, but most will say that one of the reasons is that want to make a difference in their communities. Often, their decision to go into the field made in their teens or early twenties. For veteran, long-time journalists, there is no way they could have foreseen the decline in journalism jobs. Just because they now find themselves in a landscape where new positions in the field are few and far between, does that mean that the knowledge they have gained over the years should be thrown in the trash can? Definitely not! Many have already begun to reassess their roles during the past few years.
In general, society should invite older journalists and former journalists in from the sidelines to become active participants in the political and governmental processes. It can only benefit.
