Q: I've been a city hall/GA reporter at a midsized daily in California for two years and am pondering what to do next.
Before throwing myself into reporting I was a biochemist. I got a Ph.D and worked in a lab for several years but got fed up, spent a year at a science writing program and felt lucky to land my current job.
I'd like to specialize more, writing about science, health or the environment.
My own paper has a limited demand for that stuff. I try to do it when I can.
But I'm not sure on where to go to specialize: to a larger daily or a magazine, which could mean being a freelancer.
Plus, my wife has been talking about having kids and I wonder if I can handle that financially or mentally at my current paper. I usually like my job, but I don't see my old friends anymore and my parents have remarked that I seem stressed out.
If I found a job at a university writing press releases about their latest scientific paper and whatnot and stayed there for a few years, could I work my way back to independent journalism?
How could I cleanse myself of the perceived taint of working for an institution?
Would a newspaper still want me, assuming that there are any jobs in a few years?
Former lab rat
A: Relax. Things may not be so dire.
First of all, there is no taint from working at an academic or research institute. Editors see that as reputable work; it just isn't journalistic.
I'd try to take that science and journalism combo into business reporting at a larger daily. There is a demand for good business journalists and quite a bit of what they do is rooted in science, technology and the environment.
I hope that a good move journalistically will help with your questions about wife, parents, friends and baby.
