A recent post on Reflections of a Newsosaur, Are hyper-local programs fair to j-students?, addresses collaboration between mammoth media companies and college journalism programs, and what these partnerships mean for students. Are they good or bad? Blogger Allan D. Mutter provides both sides of the argument, then offers his own analysis. Ultimately, Mutter believes these partnerships are mutually beneficial, saying”while these arrangements distinctly benefit media companies (which rightfully ought to compensate student contributors with something more tangible than ‘exposure’), the programs on balance represent a fair bargain for journalism students, who will need every advantage in launching their careers at a time most traditional news organizations are chopping staffs instead of expanding them.” In the end, journalism students need all the exposure they can get before they’re released into the field, and big media companies provide an opportunity to do just that.
One example of such collaboration is the New York Times “East Village Local” publication. On February 22, the Times announced that NYU students would staff the new publication. The site will launch in the fall, after it’s developed by faculty and students. The class “The Hyperlocal Newsroom,” will provide continuous content, as students report and write for the site as part of their coursework. Summer classes will be opened to other university students, too.
But a post on The Awl doesn’t find much merit in these programs, or at least not as much as Mutter does, arguing “I can totally understand the argument that creating these publications and staffing them as such is the best way for the kids to learn. And sure, I’d rather j-schools have students go out and report for a publication than have them sit in class and talk about Twitter and whatever. But this kind of working for free isn’t just the situation of their school days; this is most likely how it’s going to be after they graduate too. Training them to accept these conditions is just a way to prepare them for the non-job market.”
So Gen-Jers, what do you think? Is it a smart pairing? Do students really benefit? Or does it just make working for free seem acceptable?
Recently my student chapter hosted a critique session, bringing faculty and professionals in to check out student resumes and work samples.
The students got a lot out of it and learned more about SPJ in the process. And our chapter membership got to meet faculty they’d never had in class.
Have any Generation J groups done this to connect with your local college? It’s especially valuable, I think, for college students to see younger-demographic journalists in action.
Here’s a shot of me talking with a freshman about her portfolio:
But I suspect that one of the jokes in the piece (“Will you still call me after the bluelines?”) falls flat for many. Journalists 35 and under: Did you get the joke? Do you know what bluelines refers to? Put your guesses in the comments. After a few, the veterans can give the correct answer.
As many of you are aware, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, which will air until Feb. 28 on NBC, debuted Feb. 12 with the opening ceremonies. Earlier that day, luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from the country of Georgia died in a luger crash during a practice run. Somewhere between his death and the opening ceremonies, a video of his death was shown. Specifically, the video was shown on major TV networks, including NBC.
I cannot tell a lie. Even though I’m a journalist and fully support that whole “freedom of the press” thing, watching that video was quite disturbing, even though it only lasted a good five seconds. And if you could have seen my facial expression when I saw the footage…Sigh.
As a newcomer to journalism, you’re going to be faced with these “Is it right for my newsroom/newspaper/TV station to published this content” issues and other ethical concerns (like, for the love of God, this one) all the time, if you haven’t already.
So I ask for your opinions, journalism Gen-Jers: Was it ethical for NBC and other TV networks to broadcast Kumaritashvili’s death? Was it insensitive, or was it journalism’s doing its job, which is to inform the public?
A few days ago, I resigned from a nonprofit job unrelated to journalism. Admittedly, I lasted a whopping two weeks.
Desperate and poor, I accepted the offer for employment, thinking I’d have enough time on the side to devote to writing. And my bright-eyed 22-year-old self couldn’t have been more wrong. So there I was, doing work that many people consider important, and doing it well. But by the second week, there was this incessant tug. And every attempt to ignore it only intensified it. I had to address it, despite the consequences.
And that’s just what I did. In the end, I decided if I was going to feel overworked and exhausted, it was going to be in the name of my craft. I knew I would return home to frustration, to judgment, to more penny pinching. But do I regret it? Not one bit. I took a chance and devoted myself to a cause. My experience made me a better person and a better writer. Next time someone questions my decision to pursue journalism, with its uncertain future in the current economic landscape and all, I have a response I can feel good about. Why, they ask? Because I wholeheartedly tried something else, and it left me unfulfilled. Because for me, it’s not about money, it’s about purpose. And, well, this is mine. It was foolish to think I could do anything else. Lesson learned.
So, fellow Gen Jers, what do you think? We are a young and vibrant bunch, real go-getters. But is passion (and hard work, of course) enough to tackle this industry? Would you rather follow your heart and be broke? Or, in these times, work a job that satisfies your bank account, even if it leaves you feeling dull? Have you, like me, learned the hard way?
Back when I was a wee lass, fresh out of college and working my first newspaper job, I almost dated a co-worker. We went out a few times under the guise of friendship (a movie here, a dinner there) and we had a connection that could’ve been something more…had I let it. Unlike the fine bloggers over at Stuff Journalists Like, I wasn’t looking at the potential benefits of the situation (“Journalists like dating each other because only fellow journalists understand the phrase: “Not tonight dear, I’m on deadline”). I was wise enough to know that if we pursued a relationship and it went south, it could’ve been detrimental to my fledgling career. But that was 10 years ago. Have times changed? Do younger journalists feel differently nowadays? Or will dating a colleague always be a fundamental no-no?
Brett Junvik is only 26, but he’s already traveled around the world telling stories of impoverished people and the international aid groups that assist them. To accompany his piece in the January/February issue of Quill, the young filmmaker made this video short to share his experience with others looking to do the same.
“Let us become a community of journalists that build relationships and bridge cultures,” says Junvik in the video, “storytellers that are truly for the people.”
Over at the freelance blog, there’s some discussion of a backlash against news outlets that want journalists to, essentially, work for free.
We’ve all been part of it. You fudge the timecard because you had to stay late to finish a story, even though technically overtime has to be approved in advance.
We do it for the love of the readers, the viewers, the listeners. We do it because for many of us, our name is on our work, and quality work takes time.
Younger journalists, especially as they take unpaid postgraduate internships or clamber desperately up the ladder as layoffs loom, are quite susceptible to being abused.
Do you regularly work for more hours than you are paid? Do you think it’s a necessity for Gen J, or should we likewise rise up?
For years now, designers and photographers, among others, have been expected to maintain online portfolios. They are a quick and easy way for interested employers to view and evaluate the previous work of applicants. Back in June 2008, Gen J committee member Sonya Smith, in her post Resumes for the new journalism world, shared a quick tutorial on how to apply for jobs and collect clips. In her overview, she wrote about joining sites such as LinkedIn and WordPress. Now, though, an online resume or blog might not be enough.
Instead, the trend is combining everything as one site. For example, John Cropper’s site, www.johncropper.net. John graduated from the Ohio State University’s journalism school last year, and is currently an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Grow Food, Grow Hope in Wilmington, Ohio, where he works as the public relations coordinator. He started with a WordPress theme, then tweaked it to meet his needs. Now, he has one site that showcases his blog, clips, resume, and photographs.
So, Gen Jers, what do you think of online portfolios? Have you created one, or do you plan to? Do you have any tips for other Gen Jers tackling their online portfolios?
University of Kansas professor Scott Reinardy, who helped Generation J with a burnout session at SPJ convention in the fall, is moderating a live online discussion on THURSDAY, Jan. 21, dealing with issues of women and newsroom burnout.
Check it out here http://aejmc.org/topics/newsroom/chat/ from 12 to 12:45 p.m. EST. The title of the session is “Women in the Newsroom: Burned out and Fed Up.”
Some of the participants are of the Generation J set, and as we learned at convention, burnout can frequently affect younger journalists.
I hope a lot of people can watch on their lunch hour (if they aren’t too busy getting burned out by work) and discuss here in the comments.
