I recently wrote a column for a television industry trade magazine—TV Technology—about opportunities for young people in journalism. The article got a big response. I didn't realize how many people who work in the media industries are having a major debate with their college-age offspring about whether or not to study for a career in media.
Even with a continuing loss of jobs in all media—including motion pictures, television and print, Columbia University reported it’s journalism school enrollment increased 39 percent this year. Why is this? Do the kids know something we don’t?
In the column, I tried to explain the reasons for the current turmoil. Part of it is a cruel side effect of the shift from analog to digital technology. Digital is a disruptive technology. It's a game changer.
Physical media—including printed paper, film stock, vinyl records, CDs and DVDs—is disappearing. All this "stuff" is being replaced by digital files. The manufacturing cost has been erased. Anyone, even a kid at the kitchen table, can create digital files. This shift from analog to digital technology has been going on for more than a decade, but this year the effects really hit home.
Much of the calamity was fueled by the poor economy. Media companies tried to grow too fast. Many lost sight of their core journalistic mission. They consolidated and ate their young. Many mortgaged themselves over the top. Now, with ad revenue down, they are paying the price.
When they pay the price, their workers get laid off. Everyone, of course, knows that has been happening for a long time. There are fewer jobs out there now and employers are paying less—much less. Barely a living wage.
In fact, I often hear of people taking jobs that pay less than what I was paid for entry-level media jobs in the 1970s. There are always the exceptions, but the fact is there are very few good media jobs anymore.
That’s the bad news. The good news is virtually all the media playing fields have been leveled. The CEO of a major media corporation has no more of a track record today in new media than a kid in college.
Most of the leaders of old media companies don't know or understand new media and are quietly trying to maintain a delicate balancing act. Most, in the end, will fail and they deserve to do so.
The journalism student of today must learn multiple crafts. Good writing and editing skills are essential stuff. He or she also must learn digital photography, video and audio production, and everything about the Internet including how to build websites and social media. And the new journalist needs to have some business skills.
Then, turn to the Internet, the world's largest free media platform, to use those skills to create something unique. One can easily reach millions with the right combination of words, pictures and sounds.
What kind of media should the newcomer produce? Ah, that's the hard part. Whatever makes you tick is my answer. Just look at all the junk around you on television, in movies and on the Internet. You think most of it is trash? Good, because it is! Recognize that fact. Then do something unique and original that interests you.
Forget money and security. If that motivates you, you’re in the wrong field. Think boldly and creatively and ignore the old media that's gradually dying around you. Eye the future and create something new.
In the 1970s, when small-format video was just beginning, the possibilities available today are something we dreamed of. It took another 40 years for the opportunities to actually arrive.
For those with the right stuff, today is a great time to be alive. You are in on the ground floor of something extraordinarily new. Build the next generation of media while you have the chance. Seize the opportunity now.