Freelance Unbound

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I have been asking readers about how their media recession has been going. From the Big Apple, NYBlues writes in (anonymously, so I can’t link, but he or she does exist) to sketch the ghastly reality of media life across the Atlantic.

Not sure about UK market, but over here all that’s left are specializations which are not as easy as old school newsroom stuff. Most of the easy jobs are gone or free. Even easy jobs aren’t easy, as the volume of work is up. This is a secular trend exacerbated by a cyclical downturn in print advertising. It’s such a bad idea to count on journalism. Good to know how to write and communicate for any profession, but still necessary to have a real skill set! I’m lucky to not be scrubbing pots and pans right now.

I have also mentioned that I spend some time trying to teach journalism undergraduates the basics of the trade. NYBlues has a pithy response:

Teach them to find another career. This one sucks.

Yes, well. We kind of know that – although for now it still beats anything involving heavy lifting.
Alongside Bill Bennett’s downbeat comments from New Zealand and Star’s feedback about the debasement of professional writing, I can’t help but feel my freelance life may be set to change even more drastically than I had anticipated.
Anyone with any other national or international media experiences, please feel free to get in touch…

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