Way back in the ancient times of 2003, in a world before social media, before YouTube, before Twitter, and when the term "blog" was just entering the public lexicon, a young writer, armed with a bachelors in English/Creative Writing, set forth to find himself a job. He scoured the Internet for hours at a time, looking for a position that would employ him to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and let loose words that would change the world. He was ready to be a journalist somewhere, anywhere.
Then his mother asked him if he would really be happy writing about junior high basketball in a two-bit town halfway across the country. She told him someone with skills such as his should be aiming higher. He took those words to heart, stopped pursuing journalism jobs, and went to grad school. Three years later, he landed a job close to home, one that paid him well enough to buy a new truck and go to a few baseball games.
To be honest, looking back, I am actually glad no newspaper did so much as offer me an interview. I am happy none of the 60 or so jobs I applied to took the even first look at me. Because no matter how much I may bitch about my job now, I am absolutely thankful I don't work for the newspaper industry. I would probably be unemployed right now.
I don't remember the last time I read a newspaper. I used to sit down every morning, pour myself a big heaping bowl of Crunch Berries, and dig through the Florida Today. First, I would read the Sports, then the Comics, then the Front Page section, then, if I had time, I would read the Business and Life sections. I was hip to the happenings of the world.
I have no idea if they still publish the Florida Today. If so, I would assume 90% of its readership is over the age of 65.
These days it should come to no surprise to anyone that the newspaper as we used to know it is going the way of the dodo. Last week alone I read three articles that called out the newspaper business for being less than responsive.
In the first, TyDuffy of The Big Lead asks "Why Do Newspapers Remain Slaves to the Games Story and Boring Quotes?". Duffy challenges the status quo of sports writing and basically calls it less than inspired.
The next day, Tommy Duncan of esteemed Tampa-area blog Sticks of Fire called out the St. Pete Times and the Tampa Tribune for their hypocritical statements regarding disposable plastic bags. According to Tommy, articles in both papers have denounced the bags whether by calling for their ban or promoting alternative measures. Yet, both newspapers are delivered to their readers' front doors in small, clear, disposal plastic bags.
Tommy again goes on the offensive a few days later blasting the Tampa Tribune's advertising flyer. Apparently, the "Trib Clips" is delivered every week without fail, regardless of readership, interest, or occupancy. Kinda like the official newspaper of the mob in Good Fellas. Not home? F*** you, read me.
Unfortunately, there isn't much good news coming out of the newspaper industry. They seem to be scrambling to find some footing during the information metamorphosis of the last 10 years. They are cutting even the most established staff.
Back when I wrote for the FSU newspaper, I predicted that five years after graduation I would be living in a cardboard box behind a WalMart with only my diploma and my Writer of the Year 2002 award to keep me warm. I'm sure if I was in the newspaper industry, that would probably be true.
