I’m in a struggle and I think I have found a quote that sums it up. It comes from a recent post by Yoni Greenbaum on his Editor On The Verge blog.
. . our newsrooms and online operations are being overtly influenced by dinosaurs who are content with seeing their employer struggle and fail and by curmudgeonly young employees who have a warped sense of entitlement and the oft-mistaken belief that they alone have the insight and the answers to change this industry for the better.
I don’t agree 100 percent with the quote, rather the premise behind it hits home on several points.
I’m struggling to find my place. I know I am further along the innovation and transformation path than most in the newsroom and the company where I work. I think many would agree with that. And I am pretty sure I give off the vibe that I am always right which likely hurts my credibility in the long run.
I am struggling to find that middle ground where I can understand the challenge and struggles of innovation and change and put forth an opinion that does not appear negative, too disruptive or confrontational.
Currently, I feel I am being too negative, especially in the areas of change occurring in the digital media realm at the company. The company has given me opportunities to be involved, but the challenge for me personally has been to find the place where I can be a leader.
So what does this have to do with journalism and the title of this blog? One thing I know for sure during this process is that journalism is not just newspapers, and that change is hard even for those trying to be leaders in the new media, community building, content generation world. We are not free from stress or sometimes sensing that we should become full-time professional hockey referees because it pays better and the game is what it is.
So I stole the title of this blog from the Teaching Online Journalism blog post called Chasing rainclouds away with some positive attitude, which provided a little pick-me-up.
Journalism is not newspapers. It’s bigger than that old tree-killing tradition, and sooner or later, someone’s going to figure out how to get it paid for. Not those old dinosaurs, obviously. But someone will — some sharp-toothed little mammals are going to survive the new era and evolve and grow. I’m sure of it.
Journalism is bigger than newspapers. It’s bigger than blogs and Web sites and twitter, too.
There’s room for long-form storytelling. And quick hits on a blog. Also community items and watchdog investigations.
Too many people stand in one corner calling everyone else an asshole, when the reality is that one size does not fit all. Not every journalist will excel at in-depth analysis. Some will aspire to more than 10-inch cop stories.
But they are all necessary parts to a whole, which is that journalism gives people a roadmap to their community and world.
We’re panicky right now because the money model is broken, and that’s caused our vision to blur. Surely the old way isn’t coming back and that’s OK. But in the end, it’s the folks who have the real passion for getting this job done that will be around to see it through.
There never has been a “golden age” for journalism. I find that liberating and exciting all at once. Keep up the good work and keep inspiring others to do their own.