Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Business Side (AKA the Ugly Side) of Journalism

So it has been all fun and games with my work at The Cincinnati Enquirer but, with all good things, there are some actions that bring the fairy tale back to reality. One event that has put future decisions into perspective are the current cutbacks that are taking place because of the recession we are facing. Of course no business has been immune to the recession, but it seems that no industry has been hit harder by the economy than the newspaper industry. Now, I am not interning with The Enquirer to become a newspaper reporter. I have known since I was in high school that going into that field is a very bad idea. The newspaper industry is a dying industry. Of course, they have made many changes within their infrastructure to become a more digital commodity, but cuts have had to be made in order to grow in this area. I knew that these kind of things were bound to happen, but I didn't know how I would truly feel once I saw these job cuts being made right in front of my face.

I met with the president and publisher of the company and she gave me advice of how to cope with losses of employees and mentors in the field. I was aware that The Enquirer was going to cut 10% of their staff to brace for the trying times they were facing. I let her know that I was fully aware that cuts were to be made and that I would be fine. "Keep your head down and focus on your objectives," is what she said. It really was great advice. In hind sight, I really shrugged off the advice because I didn't think that I would really be affected by the changes. In the end, I was dead wrong.

During the day I went through my normal work. I started the day with a large cup of coffee and looked over the new videos uploaded to Cincinnati.com. Next, I took part in the daily check of all video equipment and met with the video guys to find out the stories to be covered for the day. As I went about going through my editing guide, I was called into my internship adviser's office. Thinking I was going to talk to her about a new project, I went in with a blind eye. What she told me next changed my feelings for journalism forever. The woman, who has been an employee of The Enquirer for almost a decade, told me she had been "let go." I was at a loss for words. Feelings of shock, anger and sadness hit me all at once. And I had known this woman for only about a week. I could not imagine what this woman was feeling. I mean, where is the love, the loyalty for a fellow employee; especially during the Christmas season. It was at that moment that I truly saw what this really was. At that moment, I saw the business of journalism.

We go into journalism because we want to create art for others to view. From writing articles to capturing videos of the community, what we as journalists are creating is art. While in college we dream of becoming an influential journalist whose voice can transcend a community and change the world. What we do not think about is that we can be undercut by the business. We can only do as much as our industry will allow us to do. We dream of being able to write great articles and interview interesting people, but we do not think about the fact that at any point it could all be taken away. We work in a field that does not give tenure to those that have been there a certain amount of time. Instead, when times get rough, many of those people have to stress over whether they will be coming in the next day or if they will have to update the resume for the next job opportunity. It is a scary world we are living in at the moment. As the economy continues its decline, no one feels safe with their job. But it appears that journalists are feeling the worst.

As I watched my adviser pack up her office, she told me to remain positive and continue my work with The Enquirer. Can you imagine that? The woman who has just lost her job is telling me to stay positive. As a veteran in the industry she has become used to the fact that no job is protected and it does not pay to become comfortable in one place for too long. Through school I have told myself that I can not set my sights on one place for an entire career. It has become harder to swallow since I have seen the losses in front of my eyes.

As the president told me during our meeting, the industry will bounce back. It will grow in the digital and multimedia field. Cuts had to be made to grow in this way. As the digital field of the newspaper industry grows, more jobs will be created. The once proud industry may become a proud field again if they can grow with the changing times.

I love what I am doing. I love journalism and having the power to create art for people to view and enjoy. On the contrary, I have grown to loathe the business side of journalism. Yes, I know that this is not a great point of view to have as an aspiring journalist. Even when the economy is good, jobs are never safe. I know that. But when you finally see the losses around you, you get that new perspective that you never had before. Even though it was not an easy thing to swallow, I am glad I was there to see it first hand. We hear about job losses all the time and we don't think twice about it. I now have seen and felt the effects of job cuts in journalism. And I think it has forced me to think about my future all together. I am a junior in college and will soon be looking at the job market or grad schools. These memories will stick with me as I decide what I do with the next two years.

I know that a career in journalism is a roller coaster ride that goes both up and down. After the events of the last week, I am now unsure of whether I will be riding that roller coaster after graduation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ryan Lytle you are a bright voice in a dark time. You bring out the truths of reality.