Opinion: Why I’m the Future of Journalism

By Angela Rodriguez

Gordon College News Service

December 14, 2011
(This appeared December 26, 2012, in the Salem News.)

WENHAM, MA – When I found out my freshman year that I could graduate a semester early from Gordon College, I didn’t know what that entailed. I thought hey, it could save lots of money, and I could be ahead of the game, right? But now that it’s December, I’m nearing my early graduation date with lots of excitement and admittedly, a little bit of dread.

My parents worked hard to raise five independent and capable girls. But after I finish my last final this week, I will be responsible for the bills and payments I knew existed, but haven’t had to deal with. The fear I hadn’t felt before appeared suddenly when I realized it was November, and now I’m finding it is as bad out there as I’ve heard. Perhaps it’s the changing state of the industry or the slowly rising job market that’s hiring fewer but more experienced journalists, rather than rookies like me. Or perhaps it’s the fact that I’m graduating in December, a time employers aren’t necessarily looking to hire.

Anyway you look at it, the news is not exactly optimistic. Last year, for instance, 58 percent of news executives saw the future of journalism heading in the wrong direction. And surprising to me, newspaper executives were more optimistic of that direction than broadcast executives, according to an analysis done by Pew Research Center. I watched my dad read the Sunday paper every week, but lately, I have heard of the dying newspapers since technology is taking over. So in my world, I saw broadcasting as still being crucial, while newspapers were going away because of online and television news.

No matter the outcome, though, I believe there will always be a need for reporters—like me—finding, investigating, interviewing, and writing or broadcasting stories for the viewers. Why is it, then, that reporters are getting cut from newspapers? Shouldn’t there be more, not less, job opportunities for journalists?

That said, I propose newspapers and broadcast news stations take advantage of the newly prepared and dedicated generation of journalists, like me. We have studied and experienced the new ways of communicating through online social media, but we still remember the way it was with print. We have the enthusiasm and energy to find the stories, but we’ve also grown up blogging, texting, tweeting and Facebooking.

Besides, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for reporters, I have all the qualifications that are valuable for a good and successful reporter. I’ve done all the right things, studied abroad, worked hard in my classes, written for the school newspaper, and been published in several newspapers. But I am still jobless . . . so far. I guess it should be noted, however, that I have been on the look and applying for jobs since September, so I haven’t officially experienced the unemployed status as of yet.

Even though I’m graduating at Christmas time, and don’t necessarily feel in great demand by my future profession, I feel prepared in every way possible for journalism. So for now, I will be going forward in my professional career discovering another world: that of a nanny, hopefully paying the bills I am responsible for. I’ll continue to search, apply, and interview for reporter’s positions around the country as a 21-year-old early graduate, because I can and I’m willing to go anywhere. And I’ll hold out hope that an editor in the field will soon enough give me a call, confirming for me that all my early planning was, in fact, worth it.

Angela Rodriguez, a Fellow with the Gordon College News Service, graduated in December from Gordon College with a degree in communication arts. Prospective news editors can reach her at angela.rodriguez@gordon.edu.