I'm an ex-journalist AMA

[catcactcat]

Don't hate me

Who did you work for? And why are you no longer a journo?

Not a great fan, but everyone's entitled to their own opinions. Personally I think he's overrated.

@ilovetomatoes I worked for a few tabloids and before that, some locals.

I'm no longer a journo because the profession is very hard long term, most people working in the industry have been made redundant at least once. That's what happened to me and I decided I needed something more stable, with more socially acceptable work hours. It's a fun profession, but the pay is bad and generally employees aren't treated very well.

How did you get in to it? Was it news reporting? How do people end up getting their own columns?

@ilovetomatoes I did news reporting and entertainment reporting (mainly). I got into it after doing an NCTJ (the best way to get into the industry), and I was then offered a job on a local.

It's very hard for people to get their own columns, especially in print. Usually the person has to be a celebrity or 'sleeping with the right person' (the words of my former editor). So a lot of arse kissing is involved, unless you have the personality and social media to warrant it.

It's easier to get your own column on a local, as long as you have a clear topic, but these are usually unpaid.

I considered journalism as a career so I’m going to keep on asking questions......!

Anything that made you uncomfortable? Putting a spin on something or reporting something you feel shouldn’t have been public?

Got any dirt?

Were you ever made to write something you didn't agree with?

I’m a journo too. I’ve just finished a series where I exposed a company that has been conning elderly people. I’ve been subject to threats from lawyers and public abuse for this. I’m paid an absolute pittance, and work on my days off because there is no time to do investigative work on a regular day as the paper has to be filled. I have never had a job so stressful. I do enjoy it but I understand why not many people last and head to a cushy, well paid comms job.

What do you do now, if your work

How do people end up getting their own columns?

Oh God childhood trauma coming back here - my mum had her own column on the local paper complete with cheesy as fuck headshot every bloody week. How utterly fucking embarrassing for teenage me and how I prayed they'd not get the local paper out with her column in when they were using newspaper to cover the tables in art.

I'm the black sheep of the family who DIDN'T do NCTJ and journalism training - mother did... father did... brother did - I fucked off to become a teacher instead.

When an article (usually a celeb one) quotes a "source", is that usually the celeb themselves, a genuine source ie friend of said celeb, or just 100% total made up shite?

What do you think of the "Journalism 101" meme currently doing the rounds, that if one person says it's sunny, and another says it's raining, your job is to look out of the window?

I’m a local reporter and I hate that meme! It is so simplistic and highlights not that people don’t understand how reporting works. It isn’t so black and white as that - there is rarely one “truth”. We are also massively pressured to get the news out, so while we’re pontificating over what is “out the window” our competitor will publish an “exclusive” and we’ll get bollocked for not getting there first.

I believe most people think we spend all day working earnestly on the stories that matter, when really the bulk of us have to work so quickly, publishing as many stories as we can. We need more investment in journalism!

Thanks for your reply, spatchcock, especially in the absence of the OP. Given that you (rightly) say we need more investment in journalism, would you say the meme represents an ideal?

Also a local reporter here - and agree it's too simplistic.
If one of the two people telling you what the weather is like is a meteorologist then it's likely that they are right.

Excellent point!

@ilovetomatoes Yes there are many parts of the job that made me uncomfortable, they'd make anyone uncomfortable unless you have a heart of stone.

While there is an ethical code, pretty much anything goes if it can be proved there's a public interest, doesn't have a court order, and if it doesn't invade anyone's privacy too much (but even that is okay if it's in the public interest....). Even some of the court cases would make me uncomfortable - for example, vulnerable people who've committed crimes, even minor ones like shoplifting basics from the shop as they have no money, could go to court and be shamed in the paper. Another tricky part of the job was reporting on suicides or car crashes - families usually want to be left alone at such a time, but reporters have to go to the inquests and even reach out to the family for a story. If you're going to do the job you really have to show empathy but also detach yourself a bit.

@ DrCorday Yes, regularly. It's usually up to the editor and the standpoints of the publication.

@PurplePotatoes It varies. It may be a friend of the celebrity, or a contact who's in the know. Newspapers usually have lots of contacts all over the industry who will gossip and tell them things off the record. Otherwise, it may be something seen on social media and pure speculation.

I've heard Facebook / YouTube has basically taken over meaning there are way less journalism jobs, is this true?

People are definitely getting their news from social media websites over actual news sites, but I wouldn't say they're the sole reason for less jobs. It's much bigger than that, the invention of the internet means people are getting information online and less likely to buy newspapers. Newspaper advertising is what funds most of the industry, and digital advertising just doesn't make anywhere near the same amounts of revenue.

People want their news for free now, but journalists have to be paid somehow. That's why there are less jobs.

That's so strange that online advertising makes way less money, surely advertisers should pay the same amount because people are still seeing the advert? The Mail Online is so littered with Ads it's an actual joke, it's about 6 ads a page.