How do you stay passionate about journalism at challenging times?

Hi Janee,

I’d like to add my voice to these excellent responses you’ve received. I, too, am interested to know what you mean by “these challenging times.” I don’t consider 2019 any more challenging than any of the years I’ve worked in international and national news media — or the years and events of my youth or those that preceded my birth.

The Cold War with the Soviet Union was challenging - so was World War II and World War I, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and the 9/11 Terror Attacks. Pick any natural disaster (earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, drought, wildfires, flooding, etc.), and how about the Ebola virus in Africa, the AIDs epidemic, the bird flu, the famine in Somalia, the dust bowl in the US in the early 1900s. Why stop there? The Revolutionary War, the French-Indian War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the French Revolution, the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger, the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, the Romanian revolution to overthrow their communist dictator Ceaucescu — the dictatorships in Cuba, Zimbabwe and Venezuela —— a history book is FULL of examples that would seem troubling to anyone affected.

On the local level: traffic, tornadoes, blight, unemployment, potholes in roads, cities unable to pay their bills, crime, drugs, the current measles outbreaks, and even a city sports team that always loses — these can be viewed as challenges, too.

Journalists have been telling stories like these for centuries. At its purest form, it is about finding FACTS and sharing those facts with the public. Accuracy and accountability are key. It is true that A LOT of hard news cannot be described as “happy” news — in part, that’s because disasters and crises drive readership and TV ratings. The death of Michael Jackson was the lead story on some national TV networks for days, despite the fact that there were other equally newsworthy stories to cover.

You ask me, the worst day for the news media was when social media was included in editorial meetings and “what was trending” became a deciding factor in how we built our news hours. It’s because of this that the amount of news that actually makes it into a half hour broadcast is so limited.

I started as a TelePrompTer and camera operator in the studio of CNN Headline News. I then worked my way up from low writer on a show team, to number 2 writer, to number 1 writer which also served as associate producer. From there, I moved up to Copy Editor and then News Producer. I even served as Supervising Ness Producer. This entire and very excellent path allowed me to obtain an increasingly excellent foundation in editorial news judgment.

At my core, I am a storyteller, as are all journalists. We seek facts and information in order to share those stories with a wider audience — even if it’s just a community newspaper. Being that storyteller has been true for my entire career, which includes 10 years in Germany (Senior News Editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, freelance print journalist for global company magazines and book author), and working at CNN International when I moved back to the states, where I was a Senior Writer, Copy Editor, News Producer, and voice-approved Package Producer.

For journalists, your passion for the story you’ve been assigned and sharing it with others is what drives you. Facts are key.

Preparing yourself in advance of your career by mastering the basics is key, too. Solid writing and research skills, excellent grammar and spelling, plus geography and a knowledge and love of history have served me well — so has curiosity..... to know more, learn more and share more.

Hi, Janee. I LOVE your question. This is something that you, as somebody looking at the field, is asking, and something those of us who work in the field, struggle with every day.

The good news is that most of the journalists I know have always been passionate about the pursuit of truth, communication and the "public service" aspects of journalism, and that doesn't change, even though the profession has.

The other good news is that most of the journalists I know pursued the profession because they enjoy the challenges of the work changing every day ... and many have translated that passion toward surviving the changing landscape.

I've been lucky in my own career. I started as a reporter, and later switched to copy editing and worked as an assigning editor. I started in news and switched to sports. I moved from newspaper work to TV. At ESPN I've done like nine different jobs in 20 years ... and they've included journalism, TV production and digital media. The job I have now ... I'm a lead editor on our universal news desk, means I make decisions that impact all of our platforms ... TV, digital and radio ... all day long.

Back to your question. Be open to new experiences. Learn everything around you. Become as versatile as you can be. Those will help you weather the storms in the profession and give you options as times change.

In the end, journalists are naturally curious. Use that curiosity to your advantage and apply it to your own skills and your own profession.