Another journalism fairy loses his wings

I found out via Facebook yesterday that yet another classmate from college lost his job. I didn’t know him or his work very well, but he was one of those reporters who always had a lot of my respect. One I assumed would weather all this out no matter what happened, because I thought he was just that good. That he would win awards and have bylines all over the news for years to come and retire old and such.

I don’t know what the circumstances are, but I can guess. His employer had no money left. He had to be let go. The fact that he lasted this long is a miracle. Yadda yadda yadda.

I have seen so many former classmates or colleagues I worked with at the university paper lose their jobs. Someone I once worked with recently left her reporting job to go to PR. Even though our professors told us this was the Dark Side (For realz. “Don’t go to the Dark Side.” “We shun graduates who go to the Dark Side.” Similar hogwash that no one listens to anymore etc.), I was so happy that she had such an opportunity. And by opportunity, I mean paycheck, stability, future and hope.

I don’t know what my purpose in writing about all this is. I guess it is just a way for me to publicly wonder what is happening to the industry that six years ago seemed just fine. It’s not a worry I have for myself. I’ll always want to write and will find a way to do it, and journalism or no journalism isn’t going to prevent that. My Bachelor's of Journalism degree was not worthless and I will never see it as that. I just don’t think I’ll tell my kids to get one.