Financial woes can’t obscure
reasons we became journalists
By Wally Haas
Remember why you first became a journalist? For some of us it was because we loved to write, or we loved to read or we loved working with words or because we believed stories that appeared in a daily newspaper could make a difference in people’s lives.
We need to remember when we first walked into a newsroom, when we thought we were kings and queens of the information world. Remember your first big story, or remember that first election night when the adrenaline rush of working under deadline pressure gave you a high unlike any other.
We got into this business because we loved it and newspapers will survive because dedicated journalists believe in what they do.
Consider all the options available to a new journalist. There’s video, audio, blogging, texting, more ways to deliver information than ever before. We should celebrate that and not dwell on dwindling circulation numbers for our print products. People are reading us in different ways. We still make a difference.
No one knows what 2011 will bring. Early indications are that it won’t be pretty. Good journalists are leaving the business because they can no longer be confident that a paycheck will be there at the end of the week. We just saw another round of furloughs that affect our friends in the Gannett Company. Job security is at an all-time low.
We can’t ignore the financial realities that face us, but we can’t let them paralyze us either. In 2011 we can resolve to be the best journalists we can be, to serve our readers whether they pick up a print product or access us online. We can learn to use all the tools to inform, entertain and educate.
The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association is here to help journalists no matter their level of experience. We design workshops to help you learn the skills needed to be a 21st century information provider.
What journalists do is important.
By remaining dedicated to our craft, we give people the information they need to go about their lives.
We can’t forget that.
2011 NINA President Wally Haas is editorial page editor of the Rockford Register Star.
reasons we became journalists
By Wally Haas
Remember why you first became a journalist? For some of us it was because we loved to write, or we loved to read or we loved working with words or because we believed stories that appeared in a daily newspaper could make a difference in people’s lives.
We need to remember when we first walked into a newsroom, when we thought we were kings and queens of the information world. Remember your first big story, or remember that first election night when the adrenaline rush of working under deadline pressure gave you a high unlike any other.
We got into this business because we loved it and newspapers will survive because dedicated journalists believe in what they do.
Consider all the options available to a new journalist. There’s video, audio, blogging, texting, more ways to deliver information than ever before. We should celebrate that and not dwell on dwindling circulation numbers for our print products. People are reading us in different ways. We still make a difference.
No one knows what 2011 will bring. Early indications are that it won’t be pretty. Good journalists are leaving the business because they can no longer be confident that a paycheck will be there at the end of the week. We just saw another round of furloughs that affect our friends in the Gannett Company. Job security is at an all-time low.
We can’t ignore the financial realities that face us, but we can’t let them paralyze us either. In 2011 we can resolve to be the best journalists we can be, to serve our readers whether they pick up a print product or access us online. We can learn to use all the tools to inform, entertain and educate.
The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association is here to help journalists no matter their level of experience. We design workshops to help you learn the skills needed to be a 21st century information provider.
What journalists do is important.
By remaining dedicated to our craft, we give people the information they need to go about their lives.
We can’t forget that.
2011 NINA President Wally Haas is editorial page editor of the Rockford Register Star.
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