Open Letter to New Journalism Graduates

Matt Lindner

I ran across this note on an online forum, and asked for permission to republish it. Matt Lindner is a TV reporter between jobs, and might just be between careers. He didn’t get into the business until after I had gotten out, but already he has a grasp of the challenges facing those who stay in – and those who seek greener pastures with more stable business models.

If you like it, let him know. He seems like a smart kid.

Dear Aspiring TV Newscasters,

My name is Matt Lindner and I am a recovering local newsie. For years, the events of whatever small town I was living and working in at the time were the air I breathed, all I could talk about, my joie de vivre for lack of a better term. As of 2010, my career in local news is (for now) over with.

Years ago, I sat where you did, dreaming of an exciting, glamorous life that involved chasing down the bad guys and telling stories where the masses would hang on to every word breathlessly. I — like you — thought I knew everything about everything, that I was going to come in and change the way things were done on the local level. I didn’t and quite frankly neither do you. So without further ado, here are the lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. The lessons I wish my college professors were more forthcoming about, that you — as an aspiring local news professional — need to know in order to survive in today’s world.

1. 95% of what you learned in the classrom does not matter. The first thing you learn on your first day in the business is that it doesn’t matter how many college awards you won, what your GPA was, or how many professors told you you’re the next Cronkite, in reality you don’t know jack. Deadlines are tighter, viewers are more critical, news directors and producers alike aren’t afraid to dress your down in front of the entire newsroom. Nobody cares about where you went to school or that killer package you turned on the dying cancer patient while you were there. What they do care about is if you can turn a package and two VOSOTs in time for the five and if you can’t, there’d better be a damn good reason why you didn’t. College provides you with a fantastic fundamental base on how to dot your I’s and cross your T’s. Your first small market job will teach you how to be a journalist. Which brings me to my next point…
2. You ain’t gonna start in New York, kid. There’s about 200 applicants for every single on-air television news opening — and that includes spots in the tiniest of markets like Alpena, MI or Grand Junction, CO. Never heard of those towns? Locate them on a map because unless you’re well connected, you’re going to be starting off there covering county board meetings and farmers markets. Bieng a small town local news reporter forces you to become a great writer because you’re making things that on the surface, you don’t care about newsworthy, writing so that the average person at home is willing to put the remote down and listen to what you have to say.
3. If you want to get rich, pick another major. That’s just a cold hard reality of the business. Even today, some local news outfits are paying their on air talent less than 20,000, or right around the national minimum wage. Why’s that? Supply and demand, baby. As stated above, for every person who lands an on-air gig, there’s hundreds more who are willing to do that particular job for even less money than the incumbent is making. It happens. TV news is a desirable career because many see it as being glamorous and a ticket to stardom which is why so many people want to do it.
4. Have a backup plan. The average teevee news career lasts about five years these days, and once those people are done they move on to something else, be it public relations, law school, real estate, etc. I don’t speak for all ex-newsies, but if I could do it all over again, I would’ve double majored or at least done a couple internships in something different just to have that experience on my resume. TV news is an interesting career, but the reason it has such a high burnout rate is because so many people tire of the instability and lack of pay. While this may be your life’s dream now, make sure you have a backup plan just in case several years down the line you want to have the stable life that a career outside of television offers.
5. The news takes no breaks. Be prepared to spend your nights, weekends and holidays at your place of employment. While you may have grown up spending weekends watching football with your dad and Christmas morning opening presents with your little brother, those family traditions will eventually take a backseat to your job. As a rookie, you’ll find yourself working the shifts that most people dread. Your days off might be Monday-Tuesday or Wednesday-Thursday and you may find yourself spending Thanksgiving morning interviewing homeless people who are just grateful to have a meal. The fact of the matter is it’s part of the job and if people weren’t watching, you wouldn’t be doing it.
6. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. There’s nothing a local news director hates more than some rookie who complains about having to shoot and edit their own video. In the current day and age, you’re likely going to have to be your own photographer at your first 2+ jobs. It’s going to involve a whole lot of frustration and stress. Newsflash — nobody you work with cares because they’re all in the same boat. If you stay humble and take criticism to heart, you’re going to last in this business. If you’re a hothead who lashes out at their colleagues, you won’t last til your 90 day review. You don’t know everything, you’re not as good as you think you are so shut up and do your damn job.
7. Listen to the veterans. They’ve seen almost every conceivable situation. If somebody comes to you with a critique of one of your stories, be flattered by it because it means that they care enough about you to take the time out to offer you advice. They’ve made all the mistakes that you’re going to make and they don’t want you to repeat them. By that same token, they know how to bounce back from a poorly written pack or a live shot that you stumble through which is why they’re taking the time out to tell you how you screwed up and how you can fix it. Don’t take what they say personally rather learn from what they have to say.
8. Enjoy the ride for what it’s worth. The friends you make in your first couple TV jobs will be the ones that stand up in your wedding. Everyone’s in the same boat living in the middle of nowhere and making next to nothing. Enjoy the happy hours, going away parties, and the camaraderie because once it’s all over with you’ll find yourself longing for that sense of community. You’ll also find that you’ve got the best stories to tell in any bar you should find yourself in because you lived the dream, you did what 99.98% of the country wishes they could have done with their lives.

I wouldn’t trade the career I had for anything. I’m not the richest person you’ll ever meet in terms of money; but in terms of life experience, I’ve seen more than I ever could have dreamed of. I — like you someday — have no regrets about the way things have turned out. So if this rant wasn’t enough to turn you off of a career in television news, pursue it with all you’ve got and don’t look back because while your bank account may regret it, you never will.

To those of you who made my career possible, thank you for investing your time and efforts into this crazy excursion.

(And to any news directors out there who might have an opening for a newsie who has learned all of the above, feel free to shoot me an email…)