Jaclyn Schiff

Actor: Reality TV Star:: Journalist: Blogger?

by Jaclyn Schiff on 04/12/09 at 3:01 pm

Is journalism becoming a professional pipe dream like being a movie star? In the last few weeks, I observed two things that made me think that the “aspiring reporter” is starting to be thought of like the “aspiring actor.” You know these wannabe theater or movie star types. It’s that kid who had the lead in his or her high school play, who got bitten by the acting bug and just couldn’t shake it. After college, they find their way to Los Angeles or New York set on pursuing their passion, waiting tables or doing some other type of work that gives them the opportunity to hunt and hustle in the hopes of landing that big break.

Here’s what led me to think about the new commonalities between journalists and actors:

Observation 1 – Both actors and journalists are frustrated that there are lots of people who are untrained in their lines of work and often willing to do it for free.

I recently attended a taping of The Kalb Report . This specific episode, titled “Down to the Wire: Journalism in Crisis,” featured a panel of news executives from CNN, NPR, the AP and the Knight Foundation. Discussion focused on the future of journalism, the impact of the economic crisis on journalism and other current uncertainties (transcript here). During the question and answer session, a Medill graduate said he feels a “little bit like an actor who’s watched reality stars take over prime time TV. They don’t do it as well as [professional actors] do, but they do it for free.”

Photo: gruntzooki/Flickr

Ultimately he asked the panel for advice for people who are trying to to break into journalism. The NPR executive’s response made journalism sound even more like acting, alluding to images of the “starving artist.” Vivian Schiller, the president and CEO of NPR, said, “Well, don’t give up. I mean, the good news– I mean, the bad news is you’re going to have trouble eating, as Tom said, for the next few years.”

Observation 2 – It’s becoming more common to see journalists taking flexible or part-time jobs that allow them to pay the bills while they pursue their passion.

A friend who would like to work in journalism started following me on Twitter. This friend is also a Medill graduate — an interesting coincidence because it says a lot if graduates of one of the best and most well-known journalism schools in the country aren’t finding jobs in the industry. When I clicked on her Twitter page , I was taken aback by the blunt characterization of her professional activities in her bio. It reads, “Journalist in theory…Barista in practice.”

Her story certainly isn’t unique — just read this recent “Ask the Recruiter” question about transitioning from waiting tables to reporting on politics. In the answer, Joe Grim, notices the same thing I’m writing about here. “You sound like an actor on his way to Hollywood — not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he writes. Others are doing things differently in an effort to get them closer to securing a journalism job.

Regardless of the route, many journalists, like actors, are holding out for that dream of getting full-time work in their desired field. Of course, some have decided to leave journalism altogether to pursue other career paths. The creator of angryjournalist.com — Kiyoshi Martinez, a brilliant journalist now working in public affairs — is one such example. But that’s the subject of a separate post.