In my early twenties as a journalist and working on national newspapers, I lived in fear of 'selling out'. I loved telling people that I worked at the Guardian, and then at the Telegraph. Redundancies were happening and the industry in crisis, but still people shamed others for seeking a more lucrative salary and career progression by say, working for a creative agency or brand as a content editor or writer. I completely identify with this piece, I've been there. It's about knowing your worth, what makes you happy, and not feeling like your title is an impressive but hollow one. Journalism as a career is like Instagram - the outside isn't how it really is on the inside. The title is glossy and the work so worthwhile, but the industry is stressful and low paid, with little stability. Don't feel bad about reassessing and pivoting your career in a direction that better serves you. It sounds like you need more than this and it can be helpful to decisively tell yourself that you are moving away from it for six months or a year, to do something else and see how it feels. Your identity is so much more than the word journalist.
I totally understand this! Gradually, I've changed my work identity from journalist to editor/writer. However I still identify as a 'journalist' if I'm doing a news story, because people understand that's what a journalist does. If I identified myself as a writer when I'm chasing a news story, people think I'm a book writer.
'Writer' works for companies - content, articles etc.
'Editor' works for editing work.. including newsletter/magazine production.
Another thought: I'm a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and I find that designation sometimes helps to open doors (and mouths) as, all of a sudden, I'm taken seriously 😁
I am struggling to break into a career in journalism. After I lost my job at a newspaper, I went into freelance journalism. The pitch void can be stressful, but I do it because I love writing and want to pursue that as a career. But I hope the media industry figures something out because trend journalism will decline even more in the next decade.
In my early twenties as a journalist and working on national newspapers, I lived in fear of 'selling out'. I loved telling people that I worked at the Guardian, and then at the Telegraph. Redundancies were happening and the industry in crisis, but still people shamed others for seeking a more lucrative salary and career progression by say, working for a creative agency or brand as a content editor or writer. I completely identify with this piece, I've been there. It's about knowing your worth, what makes you happy, and not feeling like your title is an impressive but hollow one. Journalism as a career is like Instagram - the outside isn't how it really is on the inside. The title is glossy and the work so worthwhile, but the industry is stressful and low paid, with little stability. Don't feel bad about reassessing and pivoting your career in a direction that better serves you. It sounds like you need more than this and it can be helpful to decisively tell yourself that you are moving away from it for six months or a year, to do something else and see how it feels. Your identity is so much more than the word journalist.
I totally understand this! Gradually, I've changed my work identity from journalist to editor/writer. However I still identify as a 'journalist' if I'm doing a news story, because people understand that's what a journalist does. If I identified myself as a writer when I'm chasing a news story, people think I'm a book writer.
'Writer' works for companies - content, articles etc.
'Editor' works for editing work.. including newsletter/magazine production.
Another thought: I'm a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and I find that designation sometimes helps to open doors (and mouths) as, all of a sudden, I'm taken seriously 😁
I am struggling to break into a career in journalism. After I lost my job at a newspaper, I went into freelance journalism. The pitch void can be stressful, but I do it because I love writing and want to pursue that as a career. But I hope the media industry figures something out because trend journalism will decline even more in the next decade.
I relate to this so much.
Such a beautiful piece, as always x