The Associated Press
January 31, 2009 09:18 pm
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INDIANAPOLIS — Journalism students with a variety of skills to report the news not only on the printed page but also in multimedia formats will be in the strongest position to get their start in a changing newspaper industry, publishers and editors say.
“The world will always need people to gather and write the news,” said Alan D. Miller, managing editor for news at The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. “The good news for college students and recent graduates is that they have grown up with computers and the Internet. Newsrooms need what they know — and all the new possibilities they can imagine for new and different ways to gather and deliver the news.”
Miller was among 86 editors and publishers from newspapers in five Midwestern states who shared their views on skills students entering the profession need today. They responded to a survey in advance of a journalism job fair Saturday at Franklin College, 20 miles south of Indianapolis.
The event, sponsored by the Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors and the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation, attracts students largely from Indiana but also from surrounding states Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky.
Nearly an equal number of the managers said they need recent graduates who have skills to tell stories in multiple formats (45), such as video and audio, and show command of the written language (40), including writing on deadline and in short bursts for the Web. Other responses touched on similar themes of versatility: demonstrating ability to cover any type of news and being willing to take on new assignments in their work as the news industry changes.
Students should prepare for a career in journalism to work in a variety of communication forms, not just the printed page, 25 of the participants said.
Hundreds of newsroom employees have been laid off in recent months as the economy worsens and the industry struggles with declining circulation and advertising revenue. And as readers shift more to getting news on the Internet, newspaper executives are trying to find ways to attract readers and advertising dollars to their Web sites.
“The current economic environment will pass and jobs will continue to be available at well-managed media companies,” said Mizell Stewart III, editor of the Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press. “Interestingly, local media organizations will merge and combine in new ways, so students with a passion for telling stories in various forms will always be in demand.”
Seventy-one of the publishers and editors recommended that students work as a freelancer, mostly to get experience they might need to prove themselves for a full-time job.
“All experience is good, whether it be internship or freelance experience,” said Jane Hirt, managing editor of the Chicago Tribune. “Freelance experience doesn’t always lead to a full-time job, but sometimes it does. And many people are able to make a living as freelancers.”
Twenty-seven cited another reason why students might consider freelancing: They don’t expect to hire anyone in the next year, and some might even decrease the size of their staffs.
Freelancers can be more affordable for newspapers because they are not employees and therefore do not receive a salary and benefits, such as medical insurance. They are independent contractors paid per story.
All but four of the respondents offered encouragement to students considering a career in journalism in the face of dwindling newsroom staffs. Twenty-nine said the skills of a journalist always will be in demand regardless of format, and 27 said the work is important and can make a difference, such as by exposing corruption and ensuring justice.
Students need to be passionate about journalism, said Diane Pacetti, managing editor of The Lima News in Ohio.
“If you are, then forge ahead,” she said. “Get the experience you need, pound on doors, demonstrate your versatility and you’ll get a job. But if you are not really sold on journalism, go sell shoes.”
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Top responses to survey of news managers
Top responses to five questions in a survey of 86 news managers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio on the topic of advice for journalism students:
What types of skills do students need to put themselves in the strongest position to land an entry-level job in the newspaper industry today?
1. Diverse skills: 45 (Multimedia storytelling, including audio and video; Web-first reporting; report/write for printed publication and online.)
2. Writing skills: 40 (Writing on deadline; writing brief and fast, including for Web site; attention to grammar, spelling, clarity, organization)
3. Curiosity and enthusiasm: 16
(Note: Adds up to more than 86 because many participants listed multiple skills.)
What positions are you likely to fill in your newsroom in the next year or so?
1. Reporters: 34 (Including for Web site, interns and possible positions.)
2. None: 27
3. Copy editors: 9
Could you suggest any reason(s) for college students to consider a career in newspapers in light of the downsizing in our industry today?
1. Skills of a journalist will always be in demand regardless of format: 29
2. Important work: 27 (Serve as watchdog for the public; expose corruption; ensure justice and freedom; make a difference; do some good.)
3. Still can be a rewarding and satisfying career: 7
Would you recommend that college students/recent grads become a freelancer — either as a way to get experience before becoming an employee or to make a career of it?
1. Yes: 71 (Provides experience/clips; gets your foot in door; proves yourself valuable to decision-makers for hiring.)
2. Hedged response: 11 (Difficult to make a living; not as a career; only as last resort.)
3. No: 4 (Difficult to make a living; cannot hire experienced writers in entry-level positions.)
What would be the single most important piece of advice you could give to aspiring journalists at this time as they see a shrinking job market in the newspaper industry?
1. Become diverse in skills: 25 (Be versatile, including in multimedia reporting; prepare for a career in journalism, not just in newspapers.)
2. Be determined: 12 (Never give up; have patience; don’t be discouraged; be aggressive in job search.)
3. Be willing to start at a small paper: 7.
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Advice for journalism students from news execs
Advice for journalism students from newspaper publishers, editors and other managers who responded to the survey:
“We have the power to do great good; we have the power to do great harm. We need those who know and care about the differences between harm and good to fill our newsrooms and do the right thing. It’s not about money, job security, power, career aspirations and all that jazz. It’s about the story.” — Linda Grist Cunningham, executive editor, Rockford (Ill.) Register Star.
“I’m optimistic there will always be a need for passionate journalists, people whose careers are dedicated to informing the readers and exposing injustice and corruption. College students who have that drive likely will find success.” — Paulette Haddix, executive editor, Post-Tribune, Merrillville, Ind.
“Humility is probably a lost art on today’s aspiring journalists. No one owes these students anything — despite their degrees, their schools, their backgrounds, their networks and who they know. The question most editors ask: What have you done (for me) lately? How did you prove yourself in your last position? Learn the skills, put them to good use and never give up being inquisitive, seeking knowledge or learning new things.” — Walter Middlebrook, director of recruiting and community affairs, The Detroit News.
“There is no better job than working for a newspaper. You fill a vital role in society as a watchdog and a source of information that can be trusted more than most. It’s a job that will never go out of style, and you will have more fun and more interesting experiences doing it than any of your non-newspaper friends will ever have.” — Tom Skoch, editor, The Morning Journal, Lorain, Ohio.
“Pick a newspaper that already is way past thinking of itself as a newspaper. Pick an organization that values journalism in all its aspects but recognizes that it needs people to be part of a seismic change at the same time. You can be part of that change.”
— Dennis R. Hetzel, Kentucky general manager, Enquirer Media, Fort Mitchell, Ky.
“Be the very best you can be. There are thousands of average reporters/writers/editors. The standouts will find a place to work and thrive no matter the market.” — Juli Metzger, president and publisher, The Star Press, Muncie, Ind., and Palladium-Item, Richmond, Ind.
“Be prepared across a range of skills because it’s so hard to tell what will be needed on your first job. Further, job skills are a moving target. What’s required today could be much different in a few years. If adaptability is a skill, students will need to acquire that.” — Dan Corkery, managing editor, The News-Gazette, Champaign, Ill.
“There will still be a need for good storytelling although the delivery form may change. Print will merely be one conveyance form among many. Students should present themselves as news gatherers and storytellers across multiple platforms.” — Lisa Warren, editor of two dailies and eight weeklies in Cox Ohio Publishing’s Southwest Group.
“Learn the basics, embrace new media and be open to change.” — Bill Nangle, editor, The Times, Munster, Ind.
“If you have ink in your veins, or a computer on your lap, then never give up.” — Peter Mattiace, editor, The Courier, Findlay, Ohio.
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