Is this the job for me? | 802 Online

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Is this the job for me?

Posted By on Thu, Dec 7, 2006 at 1:14 PM

Interesting advice column on journalism from Cary Tennis at Salon.com. Interesting if you're a journalist or aspiring journalist or media junkie, that is.

"Shivering Scribbler" thinks he (she?) has made a mistake by going into journalism.

On good days, it's pretty exhilarating to be able to learn aboutall different kinds of things. I feel like a member of the human race,engaged and even a little powerful.

But on the bad days -- generally the days that involve any sortof uncomfortable questions, or even worse when I have to askuncomfortable questions of a source I've come to like -- I just wish Icould disappear, die, erase myself.

Boy does that sound familiar. I like Tennis' response. It pretty much sums up why I enjoy writing quirky stories more than newsy ones. It's hard sometimes, even for a shameless extrovert like me. But what else would I ever do? Copy editing is soooo boring.

Cathy Resmer

Seven Days’ deputy publisher and co-owner Cathy Resmer is a writer, editor and advocate for local journalism. She works in the paper’s Burlington office and lives vicariously through the reporters while raising money to pay them. Cathy started at Seven Days as a freelance writer in 2001 and still has the Rolodex...