by Rachel Smith
01 August 2014
Quite a few people this week have emailed me the link to Mumbrella’s story about veteran journo Bob Garfield, and how he told the ADMA conference that anyone in media and marketing was, essentially, ‘fucked’. He clearly scared the bejeezus out of a lot of people – many of whom, I’m sure, are struggling in the changing marketplace right now.
My first response to anyone touting this level of doom and gloom is bemusement. Sure, times are changing, and the type of work we’re doing is changing, but I don’t think we’re all as royally stuffed as he makes out.
Here comes my favourite word again, people: reinvention.
I bang that drum a lot, but only because it’s the way forward and it’s what is working NOW for a lot of people I know. I still write a great deal for magazines. But I also blog and I work for small business clients and I create websites for other people and I write brochure copy and do content marketing and a lot of this stuff – a LOT OF IT – I wasn’t doing 5 years ago.
You can wring your hands and worry and assume your career trajectory will end with you watering the plants at Fairfax – or you can tough it out, train yourself up and start thinking about yourself as a business that needs to constantly reinvent itself.
You can stop thinking your hard copy CV is going to cut it and start building yourself a rock-solid online presence. Those I see in the industry who are not just surviving the storm but thriving ALL have one. It’s important – more so now – and something Leo will be talking about in depth to journos at the ASA in September.
It’s also time to stop thinking that traditional income streams – like print – are definitely going to keep you afloat. Don’t get me wrong. I love the magazines I write for and hope they continue to thrive, but I’m also conscious that I can’t support myself JUST with print anymore. I had that reality check two years ago. Regular gigs in print are harder to come by (and keep). Full time jobs in print are usually longer hours for less money and often, you’ll be straddling two titles rather than one. For freelancers, regular gigs are now coming via other means – like custom publishers. And small business clients who need blogs and social media and newsletters. And digital agencies who need content writers who can help them feed the online beast.
It’s all writing to me. I’m not precious about it. I’d rather pay my bills.
And, it seems like a lot of you agree with me. In our current pay rates survey, the MAJORITY of you responding are now getting the bulk of your work from small business clients. A great deal more of us are edging into digital. And surprisingly (to date), the majority of you are doing okay at this reinvention thing. Survey results so far show that most of you are making the same salary.
Journalism may not look like it once did. And if you’re hellbent on being the type of journalist or writer that you’ve always been, then yeah – strap yourself in for a bumpy old ride.
However, if you’re willing to look at things from a different perspective, if you’re willing to be visible online and really look at the skills you’ve got and how you can harness them; if you’re willing to retrain to help you more effectively break out of the old ways of working and into new markets, then you’ve got a far brighter future than Bob Garfield predicts.
Did you read the Mumbrella piece? What are your thoughts on Bob’s message to those of us in media?
Your message hits the nail on the head: embrace change or die. Easier said than done – but then when has anything worthwhile been achieved without effort, some sacrifice and possibly passion. This isn’t the only industry in transition to the online world- we’re in the same boat to a great extent – and sinking just isn’t human nature. The future is here- it’s opportunity: embrace it!