Five ways YOU can be a SuperStar™ Journo!
Let’s face it—journalism has changed. If you think you’re cut out for this industry, you’re going to need to either get with it or switch to communications. But don’t worry, friend. Change is a good thing. Where reporters once used a typewriter to write stories from ink to paper, we now use thin circuit boards with a screen and an incomprehensible network of cables and routers linking to “the Internet.” What’s noticeable about these new job requirements is that, in most cases, they are highly annoying, a huge waste of time, and have virtually nothing to do with the actual reporting process. Let’s dig into them, shall we—or would you prefer a TikTok video?
Must Be a Roadrunner
Thank you for taking this entry-level position. Now you see that a single strand of duct tape holds together our news organization—please run it for us. Were you thinking about taking a break just then? Forget that—you have three projects on rotation and several sources you need to interview on opposite sides of the city. Oh, did I mention you only have three hours to do the whole thing? Better get going! If you think you’re getting reimbursed for gas, forget it.
Can Work a Nine-to-Five-to-Nine
Work-life balance? Never heard of it. It’s best if you work all day. Never stop thinking about work. Hey, did your mind just wander off? Get back to work!
Experienced in Social Media
Your reporting on this story was very good—now make it a TikTok. Squishing a months-long project into a tiny, digestible, one- to two-minute video may seem like a downgrade. But that video will be circulated through several family WhatsApp groups—likely to help someone make a point of something—before disappearing into the void, never to be seen again. That’s something, right?
Willing to Pick Up a Second Job
Journalism is a lot of things, but it definitely does not pay! We don’t do it for the money. We do it because stories matter. Because truth matters. Because holding power to account matters. And, besides, that’s what your teaching assistant job is for.
Willing to Take the Blame
Did I mention everyone is going to hate you? At every family gathering, anytime the conservative uncle gets into it with his radically leftist cousin, the screaming comes to an end only when they decide there’s one person to blame—you. Didn’t you get the memo? It’s the media’s fault. I read that somewhere, I think.
About the author
Emily is in her final year of her Bachelor of Journalism at TMU, fulfilling a minor in Politics and Governance. She has written for the student magazine CanCulture and finds interest in stories about local and international politics, as well as social and environmental issues. Outside of her reporting, she spends most of her time playing soccer, reading just about anything she can find and spending time with her family.
