During a time when the news industry is frantically searching for solutions and new directions, journalists' lives have been disrupted by cutbacks and job changes. Poynter Online wants to help by sharing stories of success seekers. We are offering how-they-did-it snapshots from people who faced employment challenges and found some measure of success.
DOUG MITCHELL
Current job: I tell people I wear a lot of hats. I'm the project manager for a new podcast under the Public Radio International program, "
Living on Earth." The podcast will be called "Planet Harmony." Stay tuned for more on that.
Also, I'm the lead project manager for four of the five minority journalist organizations. I help design and manage their student multimedia projects. I did this with
UNITY last year and led the radio training at those conferences for 10 years.
Job #3 has to do with
knowledgewebb.net. I have a live Web chat every week about audio and breaking into digital journalism, and I build out an area called a "Smart Room" on the Web site. Also, I'm working with the public radio system as an advisory board member to the winners of the Public Radio Talent Quest. Two new shows are going to launch soon, and I work with both hosts in developing their new programs. I still play talent scout, as I'm still connected to most of the people who were either NPR interns or Next Generation radio student reporters at one time.
I used to: I founded, branded and ran NPR's "
Next Generation Radio." I worked at NPR for 21-and-a-half years as a producer/director and then project manager for next gen radio.
I switched because: I was booted.
I'm lucky that: I'm lucky I was booted because I have never been busier. My colleagues this past summer recognized me three times with special awards in three venues.
The hardest part was: Feeling like my work didn't matter to the new leadership of NPR because it didn't generate revenue or didn't meet the plus side of whatever cost-benefit analysis was used. There are many people working in nearly every kind of company (media, for the most part) around the world who came through next gen radio funded by NPR. The world shrinks due to technology but is expanding because there are more and more young people (not just interns) who were trained by NPR.
I learned: Not to waste time and energy with my head down. It's not my personality anyway. Ask those who are connected to me on Facebook, Twitter or just in person. I'm no Pollyanna. But, there is always a way. So many other people were angry and disappointed when I was laid off and they wrote/called me. I was too ... for two or three days. Sticking with what I believe in has proven to be a great salvation.
My advice: Get out there! Feeling sorry for yourself and cursing the company for not placing more value on you is a waste of energy. Journalism (nay, any job) is not indentured servitude. We do it because we love it and we're good at it. Re-purpose yourself. Meet people, exchange ideas and be ready for whatever the next big thing is. Take advantage of learning opportunities and be patient. Young people are the key, but don't think because you're not young and/or in school you don't matter.
I can tell you it's amazing what we can learn from one another.
Coming Tuesday in Ask the Recruiter: This journalist is thinking of a second career as a college journalism instructor but has only a master's degree and wonders whether a doctorate is needed to teach college-level courses.
If you have a transition story that might help other Poynter Online readers, please e-mail Joe Grimm at joe.grimm@gmail.com.
