Q. I'm a 2008 J-school graduate who's been working at a small daily for almost a year now. I'm running away to law school in the fall, but I'm not sure yet what I'll do with my degree.
I love reporting and can't see myself staying away from it. I'm also a political junkie. I am excited about the prospect of getting to shed some of my journalistic objectivity and maybe get involved with a political campaign or come out and be a little more partisan, but I'm worried that if I choose to go back into reporting, that could hurt my reputation of being unbiased.
So my question is, do I need to keep myself out of partisan politics if there's a chance I'll want to return to political reporting?
Thanks,
J.D., Georgia A. Politics, journalism and law are similar and intertwined, so it is normal for a person to have an interest in more than one of these areas. And, there are a lot of people working in one field who once worked in one of the others. That applies to journalists who once worked in politics, too.
The best way to preserve your chances for a possible return to journalism is to avoid issues that could make you a lightning rod and to seek work that would sharpen your reporting. Leading a ballot initiative on guns? Not a great idea. Working on a campaign? Better. Working with candidates from more than one political persuasion? Even better.
Coming Monday: He was not hired after his internship, so he freelances now. He asks, would it be OK to take a public relations job in another city and keep writing?
