Archives for category: General Journalism

2008 has been a tough year for news. In addition to massive layoffs as documented by Erica Smith at her Paper Cuts map, advertising revenues tanked last quarter.

Nevertheless, news companies still need content. And they’re still looking for people. Do you have the right skills and are you willing to be where the work is?

Webb Media is offering free training sessions for journalists who want to understand how their skills fit together with tech trends. Space is limited and you must sign up by Dec. 15.

Several people have asked where to find job listings. Tapping your network is best, as a personal recommendation or an “in” will often put you ahead of other candidates.

In addition to JournalismJobs.com, Mediabistro and UC-Berkeley’s J-Jobs, here are some other places to look:

  • ACES Job Board. The American Copy Editors Society list includes openings for editors of all stripes.
  • Copy Editor Job Board. Posted by McMurry Publishing, the jobs aren’t necessarily in the news business and aren’t limited to copyediting positions, but all require editorial skill.
  • Ed 2010 Whisper Jobs. Ed 2010 caters to people in their early to mid-20s who want jobs in the notoriously insular magazine industry. In addition to combing through their job list, attend meetings in your city if there’s a chapter. Network, make friends, find work.
  • Gorkana Jobs. If you’re interested in the business and finance beat, sign up for email alerts from Gorkana PR. You’ll get word on job changes, freelance opportunities and more.
  • IRE Job Center. The list is a bit thin, but there are a few openings for investigative reporters.
  • Journalism Next. The site is targeted toward people of color and includes fellowship opportunities in addition to jobs listings at various outlets and wire services.
  • Lost Remote Digital Media Jobs Have you set your sights on TV? Look here.
  • Magazine Publishers of America. Want to join a magazine? Check here.
  • Jade Walker’s NYCWriters group. The list is part discussion group, part job list. Most of the gigs are in New York, many of the ads are culled from other sources, including Mediabistro and Craigslist.
  • Poynter Online. The people who bring you Romenesko’s blurbs of doom also, maybe ironically, have an extensive list of jobs. As you can imagine, many are in academia.
  • RTDNA Job Postings. RTDNA has been reshaping itself as an online news trade association, though its members primarily come from broadcasting. Check it out for jobs in TV, radio and online-only outlets.

Someone once said the first rule of blogging is to do it regularly. The second is not to begin with an apology if you go silent without a heads up.

Screw the rules.

The Times of South Africa Newsroom by Gregor Rohrig

For the last few weeks, I’ve been asking a lot of people how news organizations can do a better job of providing and being a conduit for information and discussion while making enough money to sustain a business.

That last part is probably the most difficult question to answer. Most recently, media consultant Michael Rosenblum urged media companies to come up with a new business model for the realities of today.

Apparently, media CEOs were stymied. But there are examples out there:

David Cohn has proposed community-funded reporting and runs Spot.us, the live test. ProPublica uses the non-profit model to pay for investigative reporting. The Guardian in Britain is set up as a public trust.

So I ask you: what should we be doing to ensure there will be money to pay for the labor-intensive craft of news gathering?

Leave a comment below or send me your ideas. If the CEOs don’t know where to start, maybe we, the online collective can show the way.

I’ve been talking with people in social media, information visualization, grassroots reporting and news companies. I’ve wanted to talk with media buyers as well, but don’t have contacts. Do you?

Not related, but possibly useful to you: Thanks to the organizers of Capitolbeat, I was a conference panelist on a session about online fact checking with UNC assistant professor Andy Bechtel and staff reporter Taft Wireback of the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C. (You’ll find the links on my Delicious page.)

Photo: The (South Africa) Times newsroom by Gregor Rohrig/Flickr