I don't write for a newspaper, but I am a journalist for a
television station. I, too, am a one-man-band bureau reporter. I
shoot, write and edit my own stories. Right now, I am having several
difficulties with my job -- one being that I honestly don't think I am
cut out for this line of work.
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I know all throughout j-school I was reminded you must have a
passion for this or you will not succeed. After a couple months on the
job, I think I have lost that passion ...
Right now, I am still trying to figure out why. There are several
elements. One, the area is very dangerous. I cannot play cop when I'm
all by myself, my station doesn't know the area either, so the burden of
creating good-quality news stories lies all on me, and lastly -- the
frustration and stress levels of having a good story written, shot and
edited by deadline. I have let the stress of it all get the best of me. Work is all I think about to the point where I can't even sleep well
at night. I mean, is this normal?
I know it must sound like I'm complaining, but I've tried to give it
some time and I am still in the same position. The problem now is if I
don't think I am cut out for this line of work, how do I tell my news
director when I have a two-year contract?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated it. Thanks!
Elizabeth
I turned this question over to three broadcast professionals who generously took time to give some advice and encouragement.
Carol Wang, reporter/anchor, NBC 5, KXAS, Dallas/Fort Worth:
A lot of reporters will tell you in the first job of their careers --
the first few months were among the toughest of their lives. It's
overwhelming to go from college to real life. You have likely moved to
somewhere new, have no friends where you are now, and are learning to
be completely independent, while at the same time faced with a steep
learning curve at work that allows for no time to adapt.
So what do you do ... First off, figure out how to make work as simple
as possible for you. When you're talking to people, get story ideas
from them and keep a running list for when you need them. Try to set
stories up ahead of time, so that you know what your day is going to be
like and are prepared for it. Practice editing and shooting faster if
you think those are slowing you down. And don't set the expectations
so high for yourself that you stress yourself out even more. Keep your
shots simple and clean; don't overshoot when you don't have time.
And if that isn't helping enough, talk to your news director and
propose that you turn stories three to four times a week so you can
have research days/planning time to get what you want done. And seek
out programs, conferences, journalism organizations that can give you
skills you need.
You have evidently made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point, so I
don't know that it's lack of passion that's the underlying issue -- it
sounds to me like it's the exhaustion of being new.
Andrew Humphrey, meteorologist, Local 4, WDIV, Detroit:
First, two pieces of good news:
1.) Success in any field, especially journalism, is a combination of
three things: 1.) Talent, 2.) Timing, and 3.) Who You Know. From what
you've said, you definitely have Talent. Doing it all is the future. Possessing the ability to write, shoot and edit is amazing, and
multi-talented journalists are highly valuable and will become the
industry norm. Have confidence in that, and it will show in your work.
2.) The stresses you mentioned are felt by a multitude of journalists at every coverage level from small town to global. You are not alone, and your
news director should have a knowledge and understanding of work pressure.
Instead of telling your boss you've had it and have no passion for
journalism, share the specific stresses and concerns of your job with
him/her. Let's look at the three you mentioned.
Your physical safety is vital and paramount to getting the story. You
want to stay healthy and alive, and your news director wants that. Talk
about the details of specific cases, explain how you felt threatened,
and ask how to avoid harm in the future.
If lack of knowledge (of the geography, sources, communities or
cultures) of your coverage area is widespread, that is a news-department problem. Without singling out individual co-workers, explain
your experiences to your news director. If communicated effectively,
he/she will actually appreciate you bringing this to their attention
and encourage the entire staff to know the region. In the meantime, do
all you can to acquire the knowledge yourself for the type of stories
you cover. Proactively studying maps and calling to introduce yourself
to sources will make your future work easier.
Finally, all journalists have the pressure of meeting their deadline
(i.e., "making slot"). Being an all-in-one journalist requires a
great array of aptitudes, which you already know. The additional
attribute is time management. This is something your news director
knows about, too. So far, your stories are good and have made it on the
air. Now the key is to get them on the air with considerably less
rushing and stress. If you ask your news director for the best ways to
get a story done in a timely fashion, they should be able to give you
advice and even take you under their wing. It's also good to seek
guidance from veteran journalists at your station.
Bottom line: Look at your news director not just as a boss demanding the job to be done but as a guide to help you get it done.
Al Tompkins, broadcast and online group leader, The Poynter Institute:
I understand your frustration and uncertainty about your career choice.
Working as a one-man band or "backpack journalist," as it is being
called these days, has the advantage of autonomy and freedom of
creativity, but for somebody just starting out, it can be a lonely
existence. One-man-band workers often tell me that what they miss most
is the feedback and friendship we all get from a reporter or
photojournalist partner. Working in a bureau can be even more
isolating. It also makes sense to me that a one-man-band worker would
also have concerns while working alone, especially at night on some
assignments.
It is time for you to talk to your boss about your safety concerns. All
of us have worked, at some time, in a job that was not fulfilling, but
feeling unsafe is not tolerable.
How often, if ever, does the station send other folks to the bureau to
work with you or give you feedback? When somebody at the station is
sick or on vacation, do you get to work at the mothership?
I wonder if you were promised one thing, but when you took the job the
duties changed -- or did you get exactly what you signed up for? If the
station changed the job after you signed a contract, the contract could
be void.
Do you have a mentor who can give you feedback on your work? I think
having a professional mentor is vital -- especially for a young
journalist.
What part of your job do you love? (Hint: If you can't name anything, you might, in fact, be in the wrong career.)
I can't tell you if you are in the right job, but it is a difficult
situation to put a new journalist -- in a bureau doing three complicated
jobs at once: reporting, photojournalism and editing. You are learning
valuable
skills right now that are going to serve you well in the future. If you
become a full-time reporter, you will have a great awareness of what
photojournalists do. If you become a photojournalist, you will be a "photoJ"
who can write. These skills are in high demand in the online and
convergence world right now. With a year or two of experience, you could be
highly marketable.
Coming Friday: In contemplating a job at a company that publishes two neighboring daily papers, he wonders if the combined circulation
equates as a larger newspaper.
