Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Want to be a News Reporter?

Newly minted journalists face the most brutal competition in the history of the business.

There are fewer jobs, even at the smaller publications and broadcast stations where new journalists are expected to learn their craft. Even when they fight their way into a full-time job, rookies often find themselves on a self-education program because the pace is faster and there are fewer editors to teach and mentor.

Eventually, Judgment Day arrives and they are graded and evaluated. And some of the best don't make the cut. They may have demonstrated rapid growth and glow with potential. But they are sent away simply because they are terrible employees.

They show up late more often than on time. They dress inappropriately. They try to fake their way through a mid-week party hangover. They don't read the work schedule. They complain about having to work nights and weekends. They ask to take vacation they haven't earned. They leave editors idling next to their desk while they finish their personal phone calls. These are the same people whose mantras include, "I forgot," "I'm sorry, and "nobody told me to do that."

This kind of behavior is a regular topic among editors and senior reporters, many of whom are of the Baby Boom generation, supposedly the most indulged in history. An endless string of theories are offered, all true in part. Some believe that adolescence is lasting longer. Others argue that many young people possess an outsize sense of entitlement and believe their wants and needs are always supreme. A few suggest that journalism teachers don't offer enough tough love to prepare students for the real world.

Far too many young journalists treat the professional newsroom as an extension of their college experience. No editor should have to tell anyone that a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops are unacceptable attire when covering a funeral. (It happened.) No editor should have to answer the question "Why?" after telling a reporter it's important to arrive for work on time. (It happens all the time.) And the more a reporter needs such parental guidance, the less likely it is the reporter will have the opportunity to grow in their profession.

Consider the recent college grad whose first question during the job interview was "How's the surfing around here?" (It happened.) Consider two "A" reporters, one who consistently shows she's serious about her job and one who can't give up her image as a rebel in all ways. Guess who didn't get a job in the first place, and guess who would lose hers if layoffs were announced.

The best newsrooms embrace fun - even some silliness - and operate in a generally collegial way. But that can only work when people trust each other to be reliable and professional. New college grads and even those with a few years of experience face dozens of obstacles in their path to a career in journalism. They should avoid erecting their own.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"How's the surfing around here?" seems like a valid question for an employee who is about to sign on for a low-paying, difficult gig. In fact, it would seem to be a measure of the quality of the employee - looking for the silver lining in an otherwise potentially dismal situation. I worked for a newspaper in the East Bay once, where the main benefits were an extremely odd assortment of workers, a Jamaican barbeque joint less than a mile away, where for a small amount one could dine on sausage, potato salad and sliced white bread, and an editor who always brought a briefcase of clothes catalogs to look over in slow moments and who brought a joy of life. As some young people know, it is these little things!