In my last post, I complained about the lack of vision I witnessed from the University of Florida and University of South Florida journalism schools in the early 1990s. The kind of vision that might have better prepared that era's burgeoning writers (and today's laid off journalists) for the changes that were coming in the way the public received its news.
Let me be clear about one thing, here: I don't put it on the professors at all. With few exceptions, the teachers I had at UF and USF were outstanding. A couple, in particular -- USF's Randy Miller and Rick Wilber -- became mentors to me and I consider them friends, still. Miller provided the inspiration for me to finally graduate, and Wilber gave me moral support and the occasional verbal kick in the butt that I needed back then.
The skills they and others taught are just as relevant now as they were then. It will always be vitally important to know how to report and write well, regardless of the medium used to present the information.
There are multi-media graduate degrees now at USF. One of the first (if not the first) graduate of that program now works for tbo.com. Ironically, I gave the good folks in the Tribune/tbo heirarchy a glowing report on this guy before he was hired (he had interviewed me for a baseball project he did, and I thought he came off as very professional and competent). I don't know how much (if any) that influenced the decision to hire him, but the fact remains he works there now and I don't. So, was this a simple case of "out with the old" (me) and "in with the new" (him)? Eh. Maybe. I certainly don't begrudge that guy his job; anyone who can cling to a position with a media company in this era has my full support. I do have to wonder, though: If USF had offered that program in 1991, with an eye toward the future of the business, and if I had chosen to participate (and actually graduated), would I still have my job today?
That's what I meant in the previous post. I wish I had had that choice way back when.
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3 comments:
Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
Not so. I'll tell you what, I've often thought I'd enjoy a career in academia. I figured the hours were good, it was stable (if not entirely lucrative) and it would give me the chance to write. But, truly, I can think of nothing more important than teaching. Not to diminish the importance of those in the fields of medicine or national defense or food service. But we need our teachers to help prepare our doctors, the field commanders of our armed services and, yes, our hard-working waiters and line chefs. Teaching is a noble profession. In fact, I probably ought to stop denying the inevitable and go ahead and get my damn English teaching certificate!
Carter,
Don't beat yourself up over what might have been. I am not so certain that USF or UF's journalism folks even had a clue that our business would ever be in the state that it's in now. You might have taken the course, and the same thing might have happened. We'll never know. Times are hard, and yes, you got pushed off that tightrope. And that stinks. The rest of us are still walking on that tightrope, though, and I am not so sure we're in better shape than you. Probably worse, especially from a stress standpoint. It's the uncertainty that really stinks.
What genre are you going to pursue if you decide to write fiction, I am curious. Mystery, detective, historical, sports? Get a good idea, develop it, then hire an agent. And if I should fall off the tightrope, you will need an editor to look over your work (smile).
Best,
Bob
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