2011: Year Of The Underrated Journalist

Hello?

Hello.

I realise this blog has been through the internet equivalent of the long Dark Ages without a post for nearly 3 months. I will understand if I have completely lost your interest, compassion and loyalty for the heinous social media crime of not updating you on anything.

I was alive. Thanks for asking.

AND I AM WRITING A PLAY!

It’s about a journalist with an existential career crisis flirting with a waitress.

I knew you’d love it!

It’ll go to a production company in AUCKLAND once it’s written. But if you get any more excited it might be dangerous so I’ll tell you now I haven’t nearly finished.

It was a teaser to see if you were awake.

Now, while I have the rapt attention of one media-savvy, trend-setting, sophisticated and extremely attractive reader (that’s you)…

I’m in London, I completed the NCTJ in Multimedia Journalism in July and it’s been over a year since I did this. Thank you, but congratulations aren’t quite in order; it’s been two years since my 2:1 BA but I do not (yet) have anything with resembles a first job in journalism. (Psst – can you help me with that?)

 ~

I have now officially hit the 6 month mark of in-house and freelance experience reporting, writing, sourcing stories and taking photos or illustrating my work in the world of arts journalism (music, film news, reviews and features), local news (West London, Enfield, Hillingdon, and, at the very beginning, Auckland in New Zealand), politics, and the odd bit of news-writing satire.

That’s without the 70 posts and dedication (no, not recently, but there’s a lot here ok?) to this blog, student journalism at Nottingham way back in 2008 and a school mag in 2005.

Since July, I’ve had 1 face-to-face interview and timed written test (this week! my first!! they are still deciding eek!!!). I’ve done 2 phone interviews, almost 70 job applications (cover letter, CV + samples/links), 2 speculative letters and, meanwhile, approached 5 office-work agencies. I’ve pitched 5 things to publications (even follow-ups were ignored; awkward). It might not sound like a lot, but that’s between temping full time at an office, then retail, and now a new one.

I also have a personal life, with relationships and a family and everything. To be honest, I’m surprised I’ve kept hold of them through the uncertainty. If they are reading this; thank you.

I went for a job interview for a hard-sales role the other week. It’s not quite journalism. I had to question – can I justify a wage if I don’t strive to *make* a business *more* money by selling?

Yes, I can. Because I make the thing of value.

I love the stories behind the facts; the people behind the interviews; the creative processes behind the ideas; the inspiration that shows on the page. I like being absolutely spot-on right. My opinions are logical, my arguments are sound and I am sympathetic and thoughtful. I know Photoshop. I do SEO, CMS and bits of sub-editing for print/online very efficiently. I can produce more articles or find more stories or talk to more contacts or have more ideas than anyone else (I love competition, ask anyone) or simply engage more readers (I know what they like, I am one too) and give things a dose of quirky personality. I come bearing intelligence, creativity and an academic 2:1 in English and Philosophy from New Zealand’s top University.

I want to write more poetry.

Not the journalist you are looking for?

I contribute to Beatwolf and The West Londoner in my (not very much) spare time with loyalty from the start. They are growing online in readership, revenue and reputation and I’d say that has a lot to do with me.

But I haven’t been doing much of that recently.

I’ve been temping a lot in a nice, respectable job. A man (da) can not live on journalism alone.

What I’ve seen of journalism so far… has left a bad taste in my mouth. Like the U2 song. Exactly like that.

See, at 24 years old, between trying to convince my Mum that journalism is not a laughable career and my debt degree in English and Philosophy was worth it, I am not entirely convinced where this is going.

So, that’s me.

Now, tell me about yourself. About me. About career existentialism.

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