Recently, we asked our Northern Star Alumni to lend advice and/or encouragement to our current students. Everywhere they turn, it seems, they read and hear about the "imminent death" of print journalism ... how there's little hope for the newspaper business ... that readers are turning online but new business models are too slow in developing and there just won't be enough revenue. Our students read all this and wonder, "What am I getting myself into?"
The responses overwhelmed us. They came from many generations. Many were highly optimistic. Some were not. All were extremely thoughtful and insightful. Rather than try to edit or excerpt, I'll just share them all here in the form I received them. Where requested, I've removed names and deleted portions.
I've been in print journalism since I was a student at NIU, starting out at the Northern Star as a copy editor and then additionally becoming a weekly columnist my senior year. I also asked the page designers to teach me design so I would be familiar with that process.
I'm now approaching my ninth year in print journalism and I've worked at three daily newspapers -- one medium and two large. I've handled obituaries, customer service, copy editing, page design, and reporting. I've worked in news, sports, and advertising.
I think what's helped me obtain jobs and keep them is having a broad range of skills. When I found a newspaper I wanted to work for, I did whatever I could to get in the door, such as starting out part time. Before long, I was always invited to become a full-time staffer.
I think current students should learn all aspects of print journalism. If you're a great reporter, try to take a grammar class. If you're a copy editor or designer, do a little reporting.
If you keep learning, you'll always weather the hard economic times.
-- Anonymous
From my perspective, newspapers are a great place to start after graduation. My first job at a weekly newspaper in the Tri-cities area introduced me to numerous contacts and eventually I was offered a job as an associate editor of a nonprofit publication. I now have moved to corporate communications but would not be here today had it not been for newspapers. Also, many of my friends still work at the Daily Herald, Sun-Times or Tribune and have no plans on leaving. They simply accept the fact that much of their work is read online. E-comments challenge them to work harder -- and most believe the "paper"version will still be around in some form or another for many years to come.
Michael McCulloh
My advice for your prospective journalists is keep your options open and go with the flow to online journalism (the New Media), as well as learning about traditional media opportunities.
Looking at all the major media acquisitions this past year like the Tribune-LA
Times sale to Zell, the Murdoch takeover of Wall Street Journal, and the
purchase of Knight-Ridder papers by McClatchy who then sold off several
to Dean Singleton does not bode well for the future of independent newspaper
voices. So I cannot be optimistic about the future of print journalism,
unless you have the money to buy a newspaper yourself. I saved a quote by
H.L. Mencken who said: "When newspapers become solvent, they lost a
good deal of their old venality, but at the same time they became increasingly
cautious, for capital is always timid..." This also applies to takeovers
by investment?minded billionaires and conglomerates who don't have a clue
what SPJ, ethics and good reporting is about.
Barry Schrader
Traditionally, new technology has not replaced old technology but has layered with it. So we saw the predictions that movies would end live performances, and television would end movies. Books would go away. These did not happen.
On the other hand, computers did replace linotype machines. And DVDs are replacing VHS tapes.
What is the difference? The first is a separate user experience (plays offer a different experience than movies, and going to the theatre is a different experience than watching television at home). The second is a delivery mechanism.
Technology generally changes more rapidly than we might expect, but this change is very uneven when it comes to products built on this technology. There has been work and promise for years for electronic books (and the new offering from Amazon looks better than others but still not great). Work has gone on developing electronic paper.
The dream is a newspaper on your table that receives a download of the next day's news overnight so you read the same physical item with the next day's paper. This also is not good enough yet.
So the question for newspaper people is this: How does the newspaper deliver value to the reader to make it look more like a separate experience (e.g., movies, plays, TV) rather than a different process for reading the same material (linotype vs. computers or paper newspapers vs. electronic newspapers)? The trend today is more cost cutting leading to fewer reporters leading to a common set of stories that are already available on the Web. I don't see how this will do it.
The other trend is lots of self-publishing leading to lots of data but no edited information. That won't fill the gap either.
Is there a business model that will support better content created by real people addressing local issues that connect with the more common national issues making edited news relevant to communities? I am not sure, but I would think so.
There was an intriguing product in Russia a few years ago, though I don't know if it survived. It tried to offer the advantages of local news with the advantages of electronic distribution and paper for the form factor. You could go to the store and get a copy of the Fresno Times in Moscow, latest edition, in paper. They simply downloaded it from their server and printed it on the spot. No inventory, no shipping.
I think there is lots to think about here, and it should involve business people, technology people, and journalists working together. Perhaps marketing people and social scientists should be included in the mix.
Al Erisman, 1962
Looking at the print trends, there are reasons aplenty to despair. Honestly, I only need to last another 15 to 20 years in the business, and I at times wonder what will be left of it. We are on the cusp of dynamic change in news dissemination. In truth, it may be easier for the young and inexperienced and electronically savvy to react to changing needs and methods than those of us who have been doing it the ancient way for 25 years. Still, for all who embrace the challenge and the opportunities for innovation, it will be an exciting and important time.
If we are forced to become more interesting and accessible and reader focused than in decades past, that may not be such a bad thing, as long as we remain true to our ethical principles and watchdog role. As newspaper circulation declines, the job of engaging the public with the news it needs may be more important than ever. A democratic society cannot afford to slide into an age of ignorance. Who wants to live in such a world? A public served largely by the internet may or may not be as well-informed as an electorate that had an insatiable appetite for newspapers but it should be better informed than one served mostly by TV. The point is, it's illogical to believe that the need for news gatherers will disappear, no matter what platform for dissemination proves dominant.
Who could be better positioned for innovating, for testing new approaches, than a news operation run by young people with no ties to the way it's been done, and beholden to no tradition other than one of aggressive, hard-charging, collegiate journalism excellence?
Become better storytellers. Dig into subjects your peers care about. Practice writing quickly. Write about people. Yes, learn grammar (it's not out of fashion yet). Learn to write clearly, but also learn how to film and edit and, most of all, to think about how you can grab and serve the reader/viewer/browser, and where you can find audiences on their terms. The Northern Star long has been a pacesetter among its peers; now, it can be that and a trailblazer, too. The potential rewards are rich (OK, maybe not monetarily). But at worst, you will learn strong communication skills, and there is always a market for those. Keep the faith.
Phil Jurik
Southwest bureau chief, Chicago Tribune
Northern Star, 1978-82
Suppose you could turn your newspaper into a radio station and a TV station, and more...besides the newspaper? Would that be a great opportunity for a student?
Papers are already doing it and it's the kids who come out of J schools who have many of the new skills needed to do this. Many current (old?timers) on staff do not have the broadcast or Web savvy skills.
Those skills coupled with the ability to gather facts and present them in a compelling way, make for a career ... even if a print product disappears down the road. Whatever the information source, they will always need someone to gather the facts and communicate them. The future is wild and unpredictable and will change many times. But do not tell me it won't be exciting and challenging or that some news venue will not be out there to join ... or create.
Lonny Cain
My advice to them is to learn as much as they can about multimedia and the Internet so they can understand the medium better. Newspapers will always need print, but the more versatile you are and the more you can do, the better off you'll be, no matter how much the landscape changes. I now look back and think to myself I should have spread myself out more and learned about TV and radio, not just print.
But I've learned a lot about broadcast since I moved to Wilmington because I'm kind of an on?the?job learner. But seriously, take multimedia classes! That's my advice! And newspapers probably won't die. They'll just evolve.
Veronica Gonzalez
Throughout history, the news biz has been through cycles of expansion, change, constriction, change, expansion etc. With each cycle, the old guys scared the young reporters into thinking the end was near. Thank God I didn't listen to them! I've had a long, fun, exciting career that weathered at least two of those great upheavals. Doesn't mean that things were always easy. Sometimes I had to fight to keep doing good journalism. During the good times, I could just do it. The important thing is that, one way or another, it got done. I finally left newspapers to teach (and write books) after 30 years, not because I thought the business was dying, but because I think it has a great future, and I want a hand in shaping it. I'm excited about the transformation of print journalism. We're no longer limited to words on paper. We can bring those words alive with clickable links to photos, audio, documents. In my book that doesn't mean the print journalism's going to hell. This looks more like heaven! We've got some challenges ahead, but when haven't we?
Deborah Nelson, 1975
On the eve of an expected announcement tomorrow of more cuts, I have this advice: Be flexible; know as much as you can about as much as you can; know how to take a photo, write a story, design a page, and put it online (those are just the basics now); work harder and longer than the other guy; and be accountable. If you want to stay and thrive in print, stay local.
Christy Arnold, 1999
I was an English/Spanish major but wrote weekly columns for the Northern Star. There was no major in journalism when I was a student in the '50s.
The writing skills the journalism students develop, the discipline of deadlines, the ability to dig deep into facts and issues, the tapping of each person's creativity that collaborative writing in producing a paper requires ?? these skills will stand you all in very good stead.
I did not enter journalism when I graduated. I became a professor at Columbia University, Teachers College and then the president of a small college in New Zealand.
My writing skills were central to both of my professional appointments??writing articles, reports, presentations to all sorts of groups. Writing is key to any profession. Preparation in journalism will lead not only to a range of jobs in the field but in scores of other fields!
Keep writing and keep enjoying.
John F. Fanselow, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, Teachers
President Emeritus, International Pacific College, New Zealand
The world is changing at light speed pace. Technology is eliminating borders globally and opening opportunities to unite the world on one front. The newspaper business provides you an opportunity to be a part of what is going on in the world and leverage your freedom of speech to write about the challenges that face us. The smaller the borders get, the more journalism is needed to cover the ever-unfolding stories. Journalists are like police and w/o them people wouldn't be held accountable for the things they do.
Business owners are good at running their businesses, but aren't very good at being creative in reaching their target market. It is up to the advertising rep and design department to be the creative thinking for businesses. What an exciting position to be in! You can have the opportunity to help business owners stay in business!
The world is changing and the demand for information is becoming greater and greater all the time. You have an incredible opportunity to be on the cusp of change! Take advantage of it and you will be the future leaders of a changing world!
Dave Moore
Whether we get our news from newspaper, radio or TV or on the World Wide Web, someone has to prepare it. Someone has to have the skills to communicate information. If I were starting my undergraduate education today I'd be enrolled at NIU and I'd be on the staff of The Northern Star. People will always be necessary to gather and report the news. I wish I were in your shoes.
George Stoltz, News Editor '62
While at the Star, you have a much better opportunity to get creative work hands?on with some of the many facets of media. To get a job in journalism, you have to be well?rounded. Whereas in years past, journalists were specifically defined as reporters, copy editors, designers, etc., their job descriptions aren't quite as rigid these days.
My advice is this: don't squander a chance that the Star can give you. If you're a reporter, don't just settle for the run-of-the-mill stories. Enterprise - editors like a go?getter, and so will your future employers. Do in?depth stuff, but don't be afraid to get creative. Blog about your stories. Explain the process to the reader. Use multimedia - audio, video, puppetry, whatever.
Also, it never hurts to be an avid media consumer. iTunes offers thousands
(perhaps more) of free podcasts. Find something you're interested in (politics,
science, movies, etc.), download the podcasts and listen to them on your
way to class. As a journalist you need to keep on top of the headlines,
so I recommend ones like "CNN Complete Update," the "New
York Times front page". You can also get tons of cable news shows --
Hardball, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, etc, as well as comedy, entertainment,
sports and a whole range of topics -
Soon, you're the resident expert. Also, you'll have a better idea of what
makes a good podcast and how to innovate. Remember, even the so?called big?shots
are just learning the whole multimedia game.
Read blogs. … Watch YouTube videos. That may sound a bit obvious, but I'm not just talking about the "leave Britney alone guy." When you read something odd in the news, see it for yourself on YouTube. Understand and know about social networking sites and think about how they can be incorporated for journalistic use. ABC and Facebook just cosponsored a PRESIDENTIAL debate and did some very interesting things with polling, blogging, etc. This is one of the many ways media will be consumed in the future.
Also, do as much as you can at the Star in as many different areas as you can. I was in sports, news, opinion, some radio, design and probably a few other things while at the Star, but I still think I could've done more that would've helped me. Your resume is never so great that you can't add something new to it.
Steve Brown
Be flexible and open to learn as many aspects of publishing as possible. Having started with a one-year-old publishing firm, I've done everything from straight news reporting to magazine management to Web content management. If you get the chance to take on a new challenge in your career, even if it means more work (with no extra pay), take it. It can only help you in the future.
Your work will increasingly be posted online, but just because Internet content is largely free and the Web is so vast, it shouldn't cheapen your work or make it any less significant. Always strive for journalistic integrity regardless of where your work is presented. Always remember your audience.
Being a member of the media is a privilege. Often, those who don't understand their responsibilities and rights as a member give the industry a bad rap. Remember, you do represent a group of working media people every day. It's a big responsibility, but even greater now that you'll be communicating with the world through the Web.
Erica Burke
I'm a recent grad ('06) and work as a sales professional. Every morning I read a newspaper on my way to work and will continue to do so until someone comes up with a much better way for me to get the information I'm looking for. So far, the Internet has done a great job of inundating people with information without clearly providing any real substance. When I pick up a newspaper, I know that the professionals who contributed to it are dedicated to providing valuable information and continually looking for ways to improve.
Here's why I think getting involved with a newspaper, especially the
Northern Star is a great idea:
1) Print is changing all over the world and it needs fresh minds to bring
new ideas. TV was supposed to be the end of radio; it merely changed through
time.
2) The Star is an excellent vehicle to express these new ideas in a setting
that not only encourages creativity but rewards it too
3) The Star attracts a highly diverse group of people to learn from and
share ideas with
4) I can't think of another place at NIU that is more flexible, rewarding,
exciting, and challenging than the Star
5) Most importantly, The Star is led by outstanding individuals who collectively
provide a solid foundation for aspiring students to experiment and launch
highly successful careers in many different fields.
Dominic Poggi
If someone would've gone to each newspaper editor in the country in 1990 and told them that by 2008 their readership would be increased at least tenfold, they would've been elated.
In many cases that's a conservative estimate of where we're at now.
Online readership has expanded the reach of the print media, not contracted it. And since advertising revenues are based on readership -- the number of eyes hitting our copy-driven space -- we should be elated at the rich prospects ahead of us.
Page hit counts are little more than new-wave circulation numbers. Armed with that data, advertising departments for newspapers (or, if you'd rather call them, information dissemination platforms) should be overjoyed, particularly at this point, where the revenue arenas of both print AND online are offering what should be a bounty of ammunition to drive revenue.
There's little difference, when you think about it, between a stationary
ad on a Web page and a stationary ad in a print publication, when it comes
to exposure. However, when it comes to utilization, it's an entirely different
beast, one that presents distinct advantages to the online advertiser. Unlike
a print ad, an online ad can connect directly to a business' own website
with but a click of the mouse. It, unlike a print ad, can, within a few
clicks, have an advertiser actually
purchasing the product advertised! (Not to mention that newspapers, given
their design capabilities, also have the ability to build and maintain websites
for their advertisers, thus opening up another revenue stream, but that's
a whole other barrel of fish waiting for shooting practice.)
Ergo, given that added exposure, ad reps should be able to charge a premium rate. Not less than before, MORE than before. Now, more than ever, publishing platform advertising should be a desirable way to reach a broad audience. So if our ad reps can, and should, now charge MORE for advertising, that means MORE revenue, and profit, right? How is that a bad thing in any way, shape or form?
Well, what about paid circulation? Won't that suffer?
Well, what about it? The paid circulation revenue will ultimately be
matched and likely eclipsed by paid online subscriptions. Anyone doubting
readers' likelihood of paying a nominal monthly fee for access to a paper's
website would do well to study the evolution of cable television and satellite
radio. As newspapers become more savvy at presenting more, and distinct,
content online for subscribers, the issue of replacing circulation base
will disappear much as the concerns of
those fretting about ``why people will pay for TV / radio they used to get
for free.''
What about staffing?
There will be some contraction in regard to staffing in the pressroom.
As print circulation slows and online becomes more dominant, there will
be less of a need for pressroom workers. But, conversely, there will be
a greater need for information providers (i.e. reporters, photogs,
videographers) and advertising sales people as the hunger for a 24?hour
information service grows.
This doesn't even bring to bear the additional profit margins created
by the use of less paper (the rising cost of which has, allegedly, been
a major reason for newspapers' economic malaise in the past two decades),
ink and other material supplies. The less money needed to be spent on
those items, the more money that will remain in a publishing company's coffers,
thus increasing profits.
Again, aside from the obvious loss of employment for pressmen, how is this a bad thing for newspapers in the grand scheme?
More readers. Ergo, more revenue via circulation and advertising. Fewer material costs. A shift in employment focus (with more newsroom employees being hired and fewer pressmen and distributors) likely resulting in either a wash or decrease in salary outlay.
How does this bode ill for the future of newspapers?
So, don't listen to the naysayers. Don't allow yourself to be put off by the pessimists. Embrace the change. It's the end of the newspaper world as we know it, but we should all feel fine. Because the sky may be falling, but between the cracks there's an awful lot of sunlight waiting to burst through.
Sean Leary
Entertainment Editor
Rock Island Argus and Dispatch newspapers
And Publisher/webmaster
My Verona Productions and www.seanleary.com
The basics still apply, maybe now more than ever, with e-shorthand and sloppy usage. Employers are dismayed that so many applicants can't express themselves in writing, submit resumes full of errors (spelling and grammatical) and expect to be hired for editorial slots.
After they have mastered the basics, they should know that a few principles will still apply. Protecting the public's right to know can be a fulfilling career. Making sure the First Amendment is still enforced can become a passion. Save your opinions for the op-ed page. Write their damn obits if that's what they want (but still take the check). Cultivate your contacts. Talk to everyone and ... listen.
Stan Dziedzic.
Newspaper a dying industry? I hope not - I just accepted the position a couple of months ago as the managing editor of the Prairie Times, a BRAND NEW paper in the Oswego and Yorkville markets. So far, so good.
Why did I take the risk to come to a start?up paper in such a bad time for the industry? Because I firmly believe that community journalism will never die. As taxes go up and communities expand at rapid pace, people want to know where their money is going or what is going to be built next door.
I can easily see a world where there are two types of papers, large market dailies and small weekly papers serving the communities they are in. It may happen that mid-level daily papers that try and offer a mix of a bunch of local content in with state and national coverage may be the ones to leave. As long as the Internet and 24-hour cable news stations are around these papers cannot compete in the state and national market and if the small weekly papers do their job, they will be the voice of the community.
If you will not be happy being a community journalist, covering mainly local events, maybe you should look for other lines of work. I'm not saying don't shoot for the moon; someone will have to work at the big papers. I just think there is more room in the community papers.
Mark Gregory
We are indeed entering a new time, and even in the short span of time I have worked and observed newsrooms in Chicago and here in Springfield, I'm seeing that the new emphasis, at least in larger markets, is on multimedia stuff. The important thing for people coming into the bureau is -- What ideas do you have to do something new, and also, what range of skills do you have when it comes to reporting? Be able to say you can put in a story and update it hourly. Be able to say you can blog. Be able to say you can capture some audio and edit it a little bit on your computer.
The most important thing, however, is not to forget that whether you're slamming a story over a telegraph hoping that a buffalo herd doesn't knock the phone line down or beaming your story directly into your editor's brain via satellite-redirected burst-transmission microchip, that nothing will ever replace sharp interviewing skills and a way with words.
Ken Lowe
The experience and job skills (students) get working at the Northern Star will form the foundation of a solid career in journalism, regardless of the form of media they end up working for. Journalism is journalism, whether printed on paper or on a computer or television screen; journalists still need solid fundamentals under their belt, and they will get them at the Northern Star. And regarding the demise of print journalism, that won't happen. Newspaper circulation might go down, and reporting staffs might be smaller in the future, but print is going nowhere. And there's always the world of trade magazines to consider. I'm an editor for a national trade magazine and I use my Star skills every day, and will continue until I retire. Don't worry. These kids are at the front end of a revolution and they should be excited about it.
Rob Heselbarth
If at all possible, sleep with the publisher or at least the editor of the newspaper or magazine. There is little call at all for freelancers as the wire services are cheap and easy. Positions are carefully and jealously guarded and it is doubtful someone would pass a piece to a higher level when their own position may be in jeopardy.
And writing for Hollywood ... another story, indeed!
Sadly,
Kurt Sipolski
Palm Desert, Calif.
I graduated from NIU in December of 2000. I wanted to pursue a career in print journalism but most of the jobs for recent grads were in small towns in local papers. I knew that wasn't for me so I applied for marketing, editorial, PR internships throughout Chicago. After four internships I ended up with a content editor job managing/writing/producing web, print and marketing collateral editorial. I moved into a marketing manager position after a few years and continue to produce editorial in several communication devises for my company as well as plan events, and help with member retention efforts. My journalism degree and Northen Star newspaper experiences set me apart from other candidates that applied for internships. I believe my ability to write and the clips I showed at my job interview for my current job is how I landed the position.
If you look at the decline of the traditional newspapers in a negative light you WILL have trouble when you graduate. Excuses are plentiful, and if you use this as an excuse you will fail. Look at this change in a positive light because you have talent that is needed in the marketplace. You can write, you have clips that prove your capabilities as a writer. Whether it is Web content, advertising copy, marketing collateral or newspaper print journalism, you have a tool in your tool belt that many of your contemporaries don't have. Stay the course, keep up the writing, build on your clips, build an online portfolio of your work.
This past weekend, while cleaning my apartment in preparation for a move,
I was looking at my weekly columns that I wrote for the Star. I wouldn't
trade this weekly collection of my college memories for anything. What a
great experience! The Northern Star has played a big role in who I am today.
This college newspaper gave me the confidence needed to jump start my career
and would encourage anyone to take advantage of the numerous professional
opportunities and experience that can be taken away from this group of creative
smartypants college students.
Kevin Slattery
Marketing Manager, Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau
I would have the journalist of today take a step back and remember that "content is king." A radio, TV, computer, or handheld device are all empty shells without something to fill them. Personally I have embraced all forms of technology and I don't get too hung up on whether or not it's on a printed page. The delivery method I choose is what is convenient for me. That's a good thing because I can consume more news that way. Once again, though, someone has to fill those delivery channels and that is where the discussion of good journalism can be framed around.
From both the edit and business sides there is the us vs. them (print vs. online) mentality that is breaking down. I am glad to see you mention you are embracing multimedia. What we try to remember at Newsweek is that we are not selling a magazine. We are selling a brand that has a multitude of delivery channels. Howard Fineman loves the fact that you can read him in print and then he can get his mug on our site's video player. In general, our journalists at Newsweek love the web extension because their column space is getting cut all the time so now they can write more stories (they just want to get paid more!). I think you will find they like the web because of the instant feedback they get from readers and the blogoshpere.
Ron Golminas
Newsweek
I'd encourage your newsroom to take the "imminent death" talk with a grain of salt. While there may be a shift away from subscribers of city broadsheets and the numbers of newspapers landing on doorsteps, the core of good journalism hasn't changed: accuracy, relevance, insightfulness and timeliness. Focus on those core values while at the Star, read widely to expand your view of what journalists can do beyond the dailies, and you will find that a promising and fulfilling journalism career awaits you.
Anonymous
So let me get this straight: You want a bunch of cynical, grizzled veterans to give a pep talk to your wide-eyed, idealistic, young college kids? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?
Well, okay, I'll do my best: There will always be a market for news. Always. Not sometimes. Not temporarily. Always. I don't know exactly what this industry will look like in the future. But I do know this: Learn how to gather and dispense information in a compelling way, and you will never be without a job. Never. You might work for a newspaper, for a Web site or for some paradigm that doesn't even exist yet. But you will work. We deal in one commodity that will never be downsized, outsourced or marginalized: truth.
Scott Williams
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Northern Star 1981?84
You're right, with declining readership and advertising across the spectrum, print newspapers are going through tough times, but that's been the story for years. Is it the end of journalism? Definitely not. It's an exciting time to be in this field if you position yourself right. The landscape of journalism is changing and adapting to the 21st century. Ten years ago, blogs were unheard of. Video was rare if nonexistent. Heck, most households were lucky to have Internet. Today, it's almost a necessity in life for most people. Many newspapers are behind the curve, some way ahead of it. But, what they're all realizing is that they need to adapt to stay alive. Which is why young journalists are and will be in high demand -- as new media efforts are a big focus for many newspapers these days, it should be for students, too. Learn the ins and outs of the web. Be able to understand HTML in your sleep. Learn how to shoot video. Know what flash is. Start a blog. Newspapers want people who can do it all. You're at a good place at the Star because you're doing a lot of these things already. There's always going to be a need for photographers, writers and editors, but the more of a do?it?all journalist you are, the more of an impact you'll be able to contribute to the future of journalism.
Mark Bieganski, Chicago Sun-Times
I don't have very good news for you. Our company recently went through a round of layoffs and about 30 people got the axe, cutting around $2 million in expenses. The Sun Times News Group announced two weeks ago that they're cutting a whopping $50 million from the company this year. Right now we're understaffed and they aren't hiring anyone new. The lack of manpower stretches the staff thin so that most of us are doing our reporting by phone rather than in the field.
People are quitting left and right and a lot of it has to do with meager pay. A college degree hardly merits $20,000 to $25,000 to write for a Chicago/suburban daily.
You just can't afford to live comfortably with the money we're making. I accidentally broke the handle off my car door last week and I can't fix it because I don't have enough money, so I'm now entering my car through the passenger door and climbing over the gear shift in order to get behind the wheel.
Readers are tuning in online, but online revenue is paltry, at best, and nowhere near the level needed to support and maintain the editorial staff generating the news stories.
- Casey Toner
Print is dead? I've heard this somewhere before.
Oh, yeah -- I heard it when Marconi invented the wireless radio, when Movietone News started filming news footage for movie theaters, when television was invented, and now when Al Gore (cough) invented the Internet.
You're not setting yourselves up for early retirement for getting into print. You're on the edge of a revolution ?? a revolution that the Northern Star took by the horns with NS Radio, podcasts and other multimedia.
Put together, print and Internet/multimedia can be an awesome package. I'll prove it -- visit my newspaper, www.NWHerald.com/mccullomlake, to see a six-part investigative series I did on an alleged brain cancer cluster, complete with interactive graphics and movies.
Truth is, we need you kids more than ever. With newspapers now offering 24-hour news, my big fear is not the death of print journalism, but the death of investigative journalism or the death of in-depth stories rather than 30-second sound bites. Print is vital, now more than ever.
So how do you help save print and make yourself employable? Three things -- jump in head first, learn multimedia tools (HTML, Flash), and most importantly, be fair. The Internet is only part of journalism's woes. The 900-pound elephant in the room is bias, pure and simple. If you're only interested in telling one side of the story, readers can now find the other half with the click of a mouse. That's what's killing us more than the World Wide Web.
If you're still worried, do what I did, and what not nearly enough reporters have done: Don't major in journalism. Major in something you can fall back on, and learn what you need to learn working at the Star. You can read about how to write a story in a book, or you can learn by doing.
Always, always learn by doing. Besides, I'll always trust a room full of reporters with varied backgrounds over one filled with people with the same degree who all think the same.
Good luck, kids. I have been, and always shall be, tremendously proud to be a Northern Star alumnus.
Kevin Craver
Senior Reporter, Northwest Herald
This is what the bestselling book "Future Shock" was about in the 1980s. Hierarchies, technology, and the world change by the day, hour, and nanosecond.
Immediacy has new meaning, thanks to the Internet. As long as there is a First Amendment and Freedom of the Press (Media), who wouldn't want to continue to tell the stories of the next century and meet these local, national, and worldly challenges?
Similar revolutions are happening all over the globe -- political borders, our climate, health, civilization on other planets, etc. --as we speak. In the United States, for the first time, our nation can elect a female or an African American to the highest office in the land. Ask your parents or grandparents if they believe that presidential opportunity represents the epitome of a evolving culture?
Journalism will be a viable career forever. It's just that the traditional delivery platforms are changing at an unprecedented rate.What do you think people thought when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th Century? In the 21st Century world of terrorism and corporate downsizing, it is sometimes difficult to feel safe and comfortable. Top?notch, ethical journalists may be needed now more than ever to help the general public cope with the aforementioned changes in society, how to cope with recession, global warming, oppression, high?tech, etc.
The world still must know what's going on in Kenya or the Sudan or Springfield, Ill. That is the vital role of journalists today and in the future. Newspapers are not going away. Again, the delivery system may change, but -- more than ever in our history -- the need to convey important, vital, and accurate information to an informed society is essential to the entire globe.
Aspects of our life and work will change more than ever. In my day, we wrote our stories on typewriters and those words we retyped by linotype operators. There will be a Chicago Tribune in 2050, but with the accelerated technology, its format may be different, but the content will still feature well?writtten and edited stories, photos, headlines, advertising, etc.
In the late 1960s, people used to laugh at the first version of the Star Trek television series with William Shatner. Nobody believed in the small hand?held "communicators" that Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise used. Now, everyone owns a cell phone.
Like Americans during the Depression or World War II, the world might seem "unfair" to the average person. The human race has survived and adapted. So will Journalism.
Mike Korcek
Northern Illinois University SID Emeritus
Bachelor of Science in Journalism, 1970
Northern Star, 1966?69
Hello to all those with exciting futures in media,
I came from the advertising side of the Northern Star and have been asked to tell you my opinion on the opportunity that exists in the outside world after you move on from the student realm. I made what turned out to be the best decision of my academic career when I earned an opportunity to join on with The Northern Star. I was an energetic sophomore who was truly without direction, without a real goal and basically walking through the life of being a student with no real understanding of where I would be at the end of that road.
Why are you in school? Most will tell you that you're going to school to get a better job, make more money and/or contribute to society upon finishing. Only you can answer the why behind sitting in class everyday and where you want to be for doing it. You're one of the lucky few if you know the definitive answer to that.
The point behind my little rant is that the Northern Star is more than a newspaper and it's closed-minded to simplify it as such. The Northern Star is an opportunity for you to learn about yourself, for you to get a minor taste of the outside world without the consequences that come with making a mistake, for you to challenge yourself without the fear of being fired for failure, for you to gain an education that will potentially surpass any class you could have taken throughout your excellent time as a student and ultimately, it's an opportunity for you to make a small difference in a place that has history spanning over 100 years. You'll walk out better than you came in if you choose to embrace the opportunities that exist. Actually, forget the opportunities that exist. Find what's not there, create it and leave your mark. Selling advertising is selling media and reporting stories is still journalism. You'll be the one with a story to tell as you're sitting on the other side of the table during your dream job interview.
On to newspaper as an industry. Yes, traditional newspapers are hurting due to the decisions they've made, a lack of response to the changing environment and a diversification of media options. Online is in many ways the way of the future but print will not die. Its uses will be dictated by the market around it and it will change but it will not die. There's a certain amount of utility gained through reading a newspaper. I was at an advertising conference where a gentleman from the New York Times came up to speak about the future of print. His job was titled 'futurist'. Yes, his job is to study what his industry will be like in 1, 3 and 5 years. His job is to see the future. I was waiting on pins and needles as he stated that newspapers would indeed shift but they would not disappear.
My advice to those of you who are open to the idea of pursuing a career in media is to keep an eye out for those organizations that are changing with today's environment. This is slightly a shameless plug but it's impossible to make my point with out mentioning papers like The Examiner (San Francisco, Washington DC, Baltimore). It's a start up company that has come out to change the face of an old medium to be the paper of the future.
Short stories designed for a quick read, tab format designed for portability, targeted home delivery so we reach the audience advertisers want without the waste, and cost efficient advertising rates without the circulation decline is the short story behind this revolutionary idea. Many other papers have created successful variations of this model as well to include the Red Eye (Chicago Tribune) and The Express (Washington Post).
The point is that you should keep your ear to the ground as to the innovations that are occurring in the turmoil of emerging mediums (online) and crashing giants (traditional print). Opportunity will show itself and your experience, if you've taken advantage of it, will set you up to be at the forefront of innovation.
Brent Renken
Direct of Retail Advertising
The Examiner
I've always scoffed at the notion of the death of print journalism. I
feel that newspapers remain a viable medium today and I feel that technology
only enhances it. The paper I read online is the same as the paper that
I hold in my hand. The common thread -- Both have to be written.
I wanted to pursue journalism because it allows the writer to tell the whole
story, not just a small part of it like television. Although I was certain
of my career choice, others weren't -- it wasn't until I got my first paying
newspaper job out of college that my mother admitted to me she had serious
doubts that I could make a career of this.
My work at the Star paid off -- I spent seven years as a reporter for various
newspapers thanks to the real-life, hands-on experience I received. Although
I'm no longer a reporter today, I credit my time at newspapers for my next
career step in public relations. Even though I'm on "the dark side"
as they say, my newspaper knowledge has been an asset in a field where many
didn't pursue journalism.
You may be asking: "He graduated 10 years ago. How does that apply
to me, who still has some time to go before I enter this brave new world?"
Here are my suggestions for possible success:
1) Learn as much as you can while at the Star: I know the paper will be
doing all the latest and greatest trends. Don't limit yourself to writing,
but learn everything you can. It'll help you in the long run.
2) Intern early and often: Your experience will be the key to your success
when finding your first job as it will show you have more of a grasp on
reporting than just at your college newspaper. It's also a good chance to
give you more experience faster. Sometimes the paper you intern might hire
you for your first job. One important thing to know: Make sure you're PAID!
3) Start small, but dream big: We all have to start somewhere, even though
we want to work for the Washington Post or Chicago Tribune. There's nothing
wrong with pursuing those papers for first?time jobs, but it's best to be
realistic. I'm not talking about working for a small?town newspaper, but
a smaller market. My first jobs took me West, first to the Rock Island Argus
in the Quad?Cities then to the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Small papers
you think? The Argus was very competitive and the Gazette is Iowa's second?largest
paper. Both gave me ample opportunities ? from covering a number of different
beats in a number of different situations and come with great stories (and
possibly great awards!). Those papers also offered chances to learn about
newer technology and techniques. Also, you don't have to stay there forever
and the experience you receive can better your chances in a larger market.
So step out of your comfort zone!
Personally, I feel newspapers aren't dying. Like music, it's not dying,
as the record player gave way to the CD and then the iPod. The words remain,
but it's in a different format. Someone has to write it and do it right.
It might as well be you. Up for the challenge?
Kristophere' Owens
Students are right to ask, "What am I getting myself into?" Journalism is experiencing a time of great uncertainty. Newsrooms across the country continue to slash staff and increase workloads. Just this month the Cincinnati Post, an afternoon paper that not long ago had a 200,000 plus circulation, closed for good. And we all know what's happened to staffs at other papers.
Journalism students should know going in that this is a tough profession, and isn't getting much easier anytime soon. The future is bleak, the hours are long and the pay is generally bad. My recommendation would be to find another major before it's too late. Or, if you're a senior, try law school.
That being said, it's not necessarily all doom and gloom. News is evolving.
Learn multimedia and online skills, but don't skip the fundamentals. If
you know how to write colorfully, and can be flexible in your coverage --
from general news to business, sports or entertainment -- you'll probably
find a job. Reporters will still be needed to gather and interpret the news
quickly and correctly. Eventually, there may even be more jobs for reporters.
If not, there's probably a good?paying flack job somewhere. Personally,
I really like my job on most days. But I'm one of the lucky ones.
Anonymous
One additional thought to throw in there, perhaps from a somewhat unique perspective (since I'm not in the news business). Being in the I.T. field, I can say unreservedly that my industry is about nothing if not change. Rapid and continuous change defines the computing industry at every level -- consumer and corporate. It is a scary place sometimes (I call those weekdays) as wave after wave of change roils over me. However, that change provides for excitement and, most importantly, opportunity. For those willing to embrace the changes that occur and help shape that future, the rewards are tremendous -- not only monetarily, but professionally and personally.
It takes a certain mentality and disposition to face this sort of environment every day -- a certain confidence and courage to blaze a trail where few others are. To try some things and fail, but also to learn and improve and ultimately "figure it out." But, that sounds like the kind of person that would want to get into the news business in the first place. If you're willing to put your writing out there for thousands of people to read and critique already, I would propose that you are prepared to embrace the changes destined for the news industry as well.
The newspaper as we did in the early 90s at the Northern Star seems likely to be a niche product in my lifetime -- but the news business will always live on. I'm sure the town crier had the same concerns when that chap Gutenberg started printing copies of the Bible -- and everything seemed to work out fine.
Jim Huguelet
The Huguelet Group LLC
When people talk about the imminent death of print journalism, it doesn't mean journalism itself will ever die. From now to eternity, people will want to read and hear the news of their world ?? in whatever form it comes in. Newspapers may not always be on printed paper - the virtual elimination of forests worldwide alone could see to that. However, today is the best day to get into journalism because it comes in so many forms. The key is having someone behind that medium that can report and communicate that news in a clear and efficient manner. That's where you come in. Regardless of the medium, journalists must know how to report and write news -- even those who read their news online or on their Blackberry benefit from a conscientious writer on the other end.
That said, the key to becoming successful in this new wave of journalism that we are experiencing is not to get tied to one form of communication. You will have to adjust to many forms of communication, and your resume will have to reflect that flexibility. Try everything. Learn as much as you can about all the forms of multimedia. Become proficient in recasting news for multimedia. In essence, you must become a utility player, both in how you report the news and in the subjects you report.
The latter point brings me to another issue -- I believe the world will need more reporters, and more well-rounded reporters, as viewers/readers demand more onsite news and as companies realize they are competing with everyday people with camera phones and YouTube for the spot news stories. In addition to asking the tough questions and getting to the bottom of stories, you'll need to be on?site in events and you'll need to know how to report on several different topics. These days, there is no such thing as reporting on just religion, or politics, or traumatic events. They are all mixed together as worlds collide. Get used to it, and know you are needed. Do you really want to depend on the untrained person on the street with a camera phone? Or do you want a reporter -- one who asks all the questions and gives you the whole story - to report the news?
Will you always work for a newspaper? Perhaps not. But there are more jobs out there for reporters than you even realize, and with the training you will get at the Star, that world will open up tenfold. Learn as much as you can. Be proud of what you accomplish there, and know that communications outlets -- whether TV, Internet, newspaper,magazine or otherwise -- value experience as much as education. Get both, and you'll see how journalism is not just a newspaper -- it's a way of life.
Now, I did receive a card for graduation, and it said "Congratulations on finding the job of your dreams. Too bad you'll have to drive a crappy car to that job you love so much." And sure, the money is not great. Make sure you negotiate for your first salary number! And make a budget and stick to it! Third, make friends with your fellow journalists -- either they will also be broke, or they'll remember when they started and buy you beer and pizza. :)
I should mention that I worked at the Star for 2.5 years, which led to an internship in Moline. I worked at the Rock Island Argus/Moline Dispatch for almost five years, before I was tapped to work at a global trade magazine which is based in Moline. I've been here for almost two years now. When I was 20, I thought I would someday work at the Chicago Tribune. I laugh now, and think what a different path I'm on. But that's my point -- the path you see coming out of college looks straight and narrow. The offshoots of the trail just might surprise you.
Whitney Carnahan
Features Editor, Rental Management
American Rental Association
Since I have only been in the newsroom full time for about seven months, I don't know how much advice or insight I can give, but I really don't feel that newspapers are a dying medium. They are just a changing. I think that as long as people can come up with innovative and interesting new ways to present the news, there will always be a place for newspapers, whether its online or something tangible. It seems like newspapers are downplaying the importance of reporting and cutting newsroom jobs, but I think their survival comes back to the strength of the reporting. ... The reporters just need to find the stories that need to be told and make the readers feel like they have discovered something, and they just can't wait to tell their friends what they read, and - sometimes more inportantly - where they read it. Stories need to be in-depth and go beyond the standard AP way of telling stories. They need to add value to these stories. If each issue can have two or three of these stories, I don't think the Star is a tough sell at all.
Jarrod Rice, Northwest Herald
I'd like to think newspapers will always be with us; however, they may not be what we are used to. I see them as being smaller, more expensive, and with a limited readership. They will be more analytical; the best reporters and editors need only apply. So there will always be a need for good journalism, though the method of getting information to the reader may change somewhat due to advances in technology. Nevertheless, I'd like to think there will still be people who will pay extra to physically go page by page looking for articles of interest. It just feels good to sit down and go through this ritual every day.
Tom Jachimiec
My summer reporting internship at the Journal Star in Peoria gave me a slighty different experience than my time at the Star. Editors were pushing video cameras into the hands of every reporter. We wrote up-to-the-minute web updates on the most pressing news. And the newsroom, which had just been bought by Gatehouse (it used to be Copley) was half empty.
I freelanced for the Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake this fall and was
surprised by their willingness to give me stories. Now that paper's budgets
are slimming, some companies would rather pay a stringer a flat fee than
give them a full time position, benefits, etc. Because jobs are so unavailable,
this is a great way to break in to media, but one that I wished my classes
at NIU would have covered. A few lessons about query letters could be enormously
helpful to current students.
This brings me to my next point -- magazine journalism. Most journalism
classes at NIU focused solely on newspapers, and with the way the industry
is changing, it couldn't hurt to teach students about the magazine industry
as well. I did a lot of independent research to learn how to pitch stories
and get my foot in the door to the commercial magazine industry. Colleges
like Columbia have a magazine journalism major, which seems like an increasingly
desirable career option as so many Web-based magazines are taking off.
Genevieve Diesing
Being a journalist -- being a "news gatherer" and a "news/information disseminator" is not restricted by the medium in which the information is spread. In fact, the information that is being spread by your students (and all journalists) is going to so many more places -- more eyes, more ears ?? than anything we did at the Star 40 years ago, or at any print outlet.
I can be in South Africa right now and read the Northern Star ?? today's Northern Star -- or the Chicago Tribune or the New York Times -- or I can listen to the Star's radio outlet live and I can record it and send it to 10 or 100 or 1,000 or one million people.
I couldn't do that at the Star or the Daily Herald years ago.
The opportunities to communicate to the world are so much greater today -- and they'll keep expanding -- than they were 5 years ago or 10 or more.
I think the journalism students of today need to continue to learn the basics -- probe for news, probe for information -- and they need to let their creativity run wild. They can write a basic news story for print use, and for online use -- but they can also blog or send that story around the world and get almost immediate reaction.
I think the only segment of the "print media" industry that is going to be adversely affected is the segment that produces ink and paper -- the communications and reporting and disseminating of information has no bounds.
And those who are in the paper and ink business shouldn't worry either. They'll be making different sizes of paper and different kinds of ink for all of us to use.
I think your students are on a cutting edge that has to be very exciting. And in another ten years, there is likely to be yet another cutting edge that we might not have even thought about yet.
Ed Murnane
NIU -1966
Northern Star 1963?1966
I don't think I'd have the job I do today if it weren't for my journalism degree and work at the Star. Granted, I'm not doing "journalism" journalism on a daily basis, but when I can, I'm writing pieces for Disney Family.com, the web site where I'm a producer. Based on my past work as a hard news reporter and editor, my employers trust that I'll be self?directed and enterprising and they've given me responsibilities that demonstrate that trust.
I have friends still at newspapers, and unfortunately some are consolidating and losing people. But I don't think that trend will last forever. People will want their news in some format -- probably web-based or on handheld devices but I wouldn't count out the possibility that people might one day return to wanting something they can hold in their hands. (Maybe I'm a romantic in that sense, though...)
I also don't think that print newspapers are the only places where a journalism grad can work. Working for a major entertainment company, I can tell anyone out there that content is king. And journalists know how to find content avenues and create new content, whether it be for a blog, a web magazine or a multimedia site. This field prepares you to think and dig and research, so even if the print jobs do dry up, the skills you gain translate to a variety of fields.
The biggest piece of advice I can give though is to be versatile, be flexible, be interested in everything, or most everything. I feel that part of why I'm in a job I love so much today is that I rarely turned down the little stuff: At my first job, I took photos of community events -- every church bake sale, every village golf outing -- for $15 a pop. I learned how to copy edit in Quark files. I taught myself Photoshop basics. I volunteered to write an extra piece here and there and asked other editors to let me contribute to their sections when I had a good idea. When I became an editor, I never stopped writing so I could stay fresh. I learned HTML because I knew I'd need some web skills. I still freelance constantly just to keep myself fresh. For me, the 'jack of all trades' thing is maybe a bit of a weakness -- I'm trying hard to develop more of a specialty now, rather than being so scattered -- but I do think every man or woman entering this field can benefit from lots of curiosity and a desire to keep learning. I also think that today's newsrooms -- with their shrinking numbers and bigger workloads -- give newcomers lots of opportunity to learn and prove themselves. It sounds dire, but it's not. And once the business starts to figure out its next moves, the kids brave enough to enter the field at this strange time will be poised for great things.
I still feel like the Northern Star was the best place I could have spent my college years and I wish I got more involved even earlier on. I still point to my work there when I'm interviewing for jobs and talking about my experience. (I recently asked for a promotion and -- when I asked about management experience -- was able to draw lines all the way from my last job to my college years when I served as campus editor. The boss was impressed.)
Iva-Marie Palmer
As a reporter who has spent the last three days waiting to hear if she is being laid off due to budget cuts in the Sun Times News Group, I cannot stress that now is the time to stretch out of your shell and try new things.
I chose newspapers because I was too afraid to speak in front of a camera, but as we all know papers are suffering and it is times like this that I wish I would have gotten involved in multimedia.
Lucky for me I am still young and still very capable of learning, but I advise on the new Northern Star people to start early and to not only try, but to exercise the creative side that us news people sometimes bury in our daily tasks.
My job and newspapers in general may be in danger, but I will fight for it (as I hope your students will) because I still think there is nothing better than seeing your name in print.
Christina Chapman
The Herald News and Southwest Weekly
I've found myself on the forefront of the online revolution in every aspect of my job. I'm a moderator at FatWallet.com, the writer of an online comic, and despite my best efforts, a blogger.
I would advice everyone to stay flexible and objective in both your perspectives of the industry and your own writing. In just about every career choice above, I didn't actively seek it out -- it just kind of happened that way. The premium your future employers will put on your work at the Star will vary from one to other, and so will perks they offer.
Online business models are still in development and slow in producing revenues -- it's one of the things the WGA is striking about in the first place. Keep in mind the perks on any position -- print or online -- probably won't be found on the bank statement. My first entertainment blog landed me a boatload of free DVD's -- some for movies which hadn't even opened. My time at the Northern Star granted me interview access to celebrities names both B-list and household.
In my experience the one thing you can't put a premium on is professionalism. That is one skill I picked up from the Northern Star. Maintaining contacts, keeping track of assignments, bringing your best to work each day -- if you have any misgivings about what you're getting into here, take comfort that these sometimes Herculean feats aren't exclusive to the Northern Star, but found in workplaces across the classified ads - it is better to learn them now as opposed to later.
Richard Pulfer
Former Northern Star Weekender Movie Critic
I had it easy. Except for the introduction of computers (hardly a big deal; typing remained typing) the newspaper world didn't change from my college days in the '60s until my retirement five years ago. I didn't have to learn much new. So, looking back on it, I didn't. Nor did anyone else in the business, and therein, of course, lies the problem. My newspapers got a redesign with a new type face every few years, and opened and closed suburban bureaus, and changed "beats" to "teams" to "pods," but essentially The Huntsville Times of 2002 operated like the Northern Star of 1962.
Newspapers are going to survive. A friend of mine at Northwestern whose fulltime job is thinking about the future of news says there will be more newspapers in the country down the road, not fewer. They'll be different in many respects; e.g., more will be ethnic/non-English language. And… they'll be married to various electronic forms. (The new) generation is going to reinvent newspapers -- reinvent news -- which is exciting/scary.
Some things won't change. There will continue to be a demand for people who can report and write and write and edit. There will be more demand for people who can synthesize and organize and think outside the page. There will continue to be a place for bright, ambitious people, and an opportunity for them to get ahead. There even will be places -- but fewer than in my time -- for people who just want to get by and pick up a paycheck and bitch about management.
Joe Distelheim
Whenever people ask me about the newspaper business, I always tell them that no matter what format newspapers take tomorrow, next year or decades down the road, reporters still will have to gather and write the news. Day-after news always will be reported more accurately and thoroughly than breaking news. There will always be a value on the reporter who digs deeper, chasing a different angle or finding a unique source. There always will be school boards and city councils and ZBAs where the news is of importance only to those constituents and not to www.cnn.com. There always will be corruption and honesty. There always will be tragedies and triumphs. And, most of all, there will remain a need for journalists who are passionate about what they do and owners who are innovative in their support for not only the bottom line but printing the news and raising hell.
Mark McGowan