There's nothing like working in a newsroom. When a call comes in about an interesting story or possible assignment that could change residents' perspectives, it really makes my career worthwhile.
Naturally, it was upsetting to find out that the one thing I enjoy doing, while earning a living, is on the list of worst jobs of the year! That's right – if you didn't see the news last week, it's true: being a newspaper reporter is on the “Worst Jobs of 2013” list. Even though my job title was bumped up to Associate Editor almost two years ago, I'm not sure why being a reporter is the epitome of being a “starving artist.”
For starters, who made the salary/ earnings standards for reporters? While CareerCast's 25th annual report on worst jobs claims that high stress levels, tight deadlines and riskiness contribute to this field's decline, I don't understand the reasoning behind this judgment. I do understand that over the years, newspaper sales have declined because of how readers get their news – through the outlet's online web site and through networking/blogging sites, which leak more news in an hour than any print paper can keep up with. But why aren't reporters compensated for their hard work? I've seen some of the “Best Jobs of 2013” list but, no offense to those who enjoy crunching numbers all day, they don't seem that exciting. An actuary or biomedical engineer? Who really wants the type of job where you probably sit in one place for eight hours or more racking your brain to enter things in a computer or on paper.
While the pay is spectacular, why is someone like me – who runs out in the line of fire and has to interact with some shady characters to get a story – paid soooo much less and seen as far less valuable in the workforce? Who made it acceptable to pay a reporter, sometimes the controversial vehicle for the truth, less than they're actually worth? Everyone in the community knows that my job isn't confined to working at our office on East 92nd Street. My business manager and I don't stop working when we leave at 5 p.m. (or on weekends for that matter). We're tracking down e-mails, following up on stories and giving leads to our writers – and we don't get paid anything extra for making the effort to look into stories that will provoke community interest.
How can you – whoever 'you' are – say that our job doesn't match up to being a university professor? We are history makers! While others are running away from trouble and don't want to be a part of what's going on, we're with first responders, running to the shooting, fire, car accident – getting over our fears, because we know the masses want to read about it the next day. While being a software engineer guarantees job stability and there's a high demand for these types of professions, how dangerous and daring are people who chose this path? I honestly don't think, despite their generous paychecks, that they should get more respect than a reporter who travels all over their community – sometimes all over the country – to discover a juicy story. Let's get real! Not everyone is a nosybody and kids are always taught to “mind their business,” so this fabulous job of making phone calls and prying into community politics could be frowned upon.
I wonder how much reporter Daniel Pearl earned as an investigative reporter. This brave journalist was murdered in 2002 after he was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda by Pakistani militants. He was working as the South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal and was known for covering in-depth foreign affairs. Journalists like Marie Colvin, who was killed in a rocket attack in Syria in February 2012, make me wonder what reporters risk their lives for if this field is so God-awful???
The career of being “in the news” should earn reporters – whether it's for print or online – a highly respected reputation. News anchors make tons more money since they're like television stars who deliver updates in a sensational fashion with hopes of increasing network ratings. No, I don't picture myself being a television reporter since writing for a publication gives me a lot more flexibility and people can (and do) call me personally to give me the scoop. When I think of any other job that would feed my investigative and informative appetite, I can't think of any other career that accommodates my interests. If I had an opportunity to delve into any other field, it would be forensics – only because I'm familiar with and intrigued by the science behind murder mysteries. One of the reasons I probably wouldn't pursue a career in forensics is because of the tedious hours I'd possibly be in a lab studying particles, evidence and waiting for tests to be done.
What I love most about my job is that I get to experience things firsthand. I'm not just writing a story about what's happening – I'm meeting with people whom I wouldn't normally socialize and I try to go out of my way to make myself accessible. I'm curious about how specific the “worst job” studies are when they talk about being a “newspaper reporter.” Are they saying, therefore, that being a journalist is a horrible job? How about a foreign correspondent who is a reporter working for a newspaper?
I could have been a computer programmer or shut myself in an office cubicle crunching numbers...But the writer, journalist and nosybody in me say those are the WORST jobs I could ever have.
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