The Brave New World of Working as a Journalist

So what becomes of the journalist now that the internet has essentially become king? The media landscape has not just changed, it’s just been transformed into a multi-dimensional, exponentially growing, holographic exchange of ideas.

It’s nearly impossible to determine the future of news gathering and dissemination, but the times call for a radical departure from the way things have been done. (Check out yesterday’s post on Deconstructing the Brave New World of Journalism) After all, the competition is fierce due to our 24/7 global marketplace. Plain and simple, it’s a battle for attention.

In my career, I went from broadcast Tv news, to national radio, to print and onto the Internet. Now my career resides in all mediums. My love for reporting, curiosity about the stories that needed to be told, and my tenacity, have kept me alive as a journalist.

Here’s what I’ve learned now that I operate within the ranks of the freelance journalistic community, as I continue to strive for better work life balance in a 24/7 world:

1. The rise of the Niche Ninja: We’re operating in an on-line 24/7 sensory overloaded news landscape. There’s always a need for general assignment reporting, but having a niche (even within a niche) will help you rise above the rest. It might make you the go-to person for that topic by content aggregators in your field and media looking for expert commentary.
2. Personal Branding: Be authentic and purposeful when expressing your identity as a journalist. Vint Cerf, often referred to as the “father of the internet” made the following statement at a recent conference on Innovative Journalism which was covered by the BayNewser, “Journalism is going to become all about branding. [Branding] is one of the elements that will help you compete against all the other sources of information that people are exposed to.” Creating talking points that distinguish your journalistic experience and niche from others, can help in the pitching process.
3. Cultivating creative content and connections on-line: Jeff Jarvis, CUNY professor , digital media guru and author of What Would Google do? writes about the importance of developing your on-line presence. “The more public we are, the more opportunities there are to learn and create value,” Jarvis wrote in a recent BusinessWeek article adding that  ”…helping people create, helping their creations to be found, and helping people connect. That will be the secret to social success.” Jarvis wasn’t specifically writing about journalism, but I think it applies to this career, as much as any other.
4. Developing Value Velocity: If you are a blogger, you might post once a week or daily. I’ve often found myself on a radio, tv and writing or blogging deadline on the same day, until I developed “VV”. It’s a step beyond time management. Once a week I identify the value of the items on the agenda for the week by code. Here’s the breakdown: the amount of valued time necessary for a project, the financial value of the project (RIO), and the impact or exposure (local, national, personal niche) of the project. If a project measures up to all three codes, that means it rises above the rest as it is likely taking me in the direction of my niche along with financial security. 
5. The Myth of Perfection: No brainer. If you strive for perfection in an always-on world, you’ll be left at the train station, ticket in hand as you watch the info-express trains speed by you. Investigative journalism requires time, effort and patience. I’m not suggesting skimping on any level, but get your content out there. I have taken days to write a blog.  But there comes a time when you have to stop and let it go. I’ve often found that in my agonizing attempt at perfection in the pitching process, I’ll sit on a story only to see it break a few days later by someone else. Pitching takes time, blogging takes time but as Jeff Jarvis has said, “We are never a finished product, we are an ongoing process. Be prepared to make mistakes.”
6. Avoid Writers Remorse: Not every opportunity is for the taking. We can’t say yes to everything. Life happens and so does “writers remorse.” This is another one of those living-in-the-moment lessons, but it’s valuable. Focus on the story that is in front of you instead of worrying about what the competition is doling out. If someone beats you to the punch on an idea, remember this – there’s no such thing as a new idea – only the lens through which it is uniquely birthed. Look for another angle.
7. Cultivate Work Life Resilience: I’ve been writing on this topic for years and it applies to journalists perhaps even more so today. We sit at computers, talk on the phone, and research till we are blue in the face. Stopping is not an option on deadline. That’s why making use of downtime becomes crucial. Develop your own personal de-stressing routine and be consistent with cultivating that routine. Accumulated stillness goes a long way when the sh– is hitting the fan.

I experienced a whirlwind of activity around social media, journalism and work life balance last week. Every door of my career as a hybrid journalist (providing content across many mediums) was knocking.

Separating the wheat from the chaff was a chaotic, but creative dance. From participating on a panel on the Brave New World of Journalism and Media, to my own contemplative journey as a journalist, I came to one conclusion – journalism is evolving at the speed of light and we either adapt to change in every moment – or we perish.

It’s a Brave New World Thanks to the Internet

Last week I sat on a panel discussion on The Brave New World of Journalism and Media at CUNY for the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Among the panelists; Professor Leonard Witt of Kennesaw State University, Rene Ebersol of Audubon Magazine, Media consultant Brian Reich, Nick Penniman of the Huffington Post and author Christine Henrichs. We debated the direction of  journalism 2.o. Here’s the end story in a few points:

• The internet has clearly changed the business model of news distribution – but some fear it will change the quality of journalism.
• Will the general public be willing to pay for quality journalism? No answer to this one yet. But there is a thirst for good investigative journalism.
• How does one define good journalism? Kind of subjective.
• The rise of the citizen journalist. The jury is out on the impact of this phenomenon. 
• For laid off journalists, freelancing is the best option and work life balance might be compromised unless you’ve got great time management skills.
• The line between citizen journalism and professional journalism is blurred, as is the line between journalist and expert.

For two hours we toyed with new business models and the outmoded ones. We tinkered with how we were going to survive in the Internet age. There was talk on where we came from, where we’re going, and in fact if there will be a financially sustainable place to rest our hats. Who will govern good journalism and who will pay for it?

It was a nostalgic and contemplative night for me. Which had me talking about my evolution in news as I was reminded of a story from long ago.

Before the Brave New World of Journalism, there was Watergate

My interest in journalism was sparked with the traditional newspaper, (still fond of the paper version of the Sunday New York Times). My journey and development as a reporter subsequently included rip and read wire copy when I started in television (pre-computer era.) But even before I hit the newsroom, a life changing evening influenced my interest in news, right out of the gate, if you will.

I remember like it was yesterday, really. My mother was yelling from the bottom of the stairs, “Girls, come down, history is being made on TV.”  I wasn’t even ten years old, but I raced down the winding stairs to the den with my little sister in tow, in our pajamas. And then it happened. The words were spoken. On a black and white television, my family watched and listened.

“I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow,” said then President Richard Nixon. We had studied what was happening to our nation in social studies. I understood, even as a child, that two newspaper journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had in essence, taken down an administration. It was their tireless 24/7 reporting which flew in the face of any type of work life balance, that changed history. 

That slice of the past, and subsequently the work of Barbara Walters and many Sunday’s watching Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes on CBS in my footie pajamas, formed the foundation of my journalistic instincts and thirst for a good story. Fast forward a few decades and mediums later, and it’s abundantly clear that journalism, let alone broadcast journalism, has transformed into a new animal. I wonder how the Internet or even cable might have influenced – or not – Woodward’s and Bernstein’s approach. What if Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz was around back then?

Has Journalism really changed or are we just witnessing the evolution of distribution toward an unknown end? From just a hand full of newspaper conglomerates competing for advertising dollars, to on-line media stretching their content for eyeballs, in the 11th hour we’re scrambling to erect a new business model for news within the playground of the few which have survived. Maybe we need to make some sort of evolutionary leap into a brand new model.

What will this brave new world look like for news and journalism in general, and again, who’s going to pay for it?  Tomorrow, I’ll share my work life tips on surviving as a journalist in the brave new world.