“Objectivity? I always have an objective.” — Jessica Mitford
Last week, I met with a group of people at the early stages of their careers in journalism. They are the new group of interns at KQED, Northern California’s large public media company where I used to work.
I always enjoy meeting those aspiring to be journalists, and this group was no exception. They were bright, thoughtful and inquisitive. Talking with them took me back 60 years when I was like them, i.e., just starting out.
Now perhaps more than ever, we need people like them. It’s been a year already since Perry Bacon, Jr. published a piece in the Washington Post, writing that “Journalism may never again make money. So it should focus on mission.”
Bacon cited the most recent round of layoffs in media companies, as of that time, but there have been many more since, including at the Post:
“(I)t’s now clear billionaires aren’t a panacea for the news industry. The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, and other super-wealthy individuals who have purchased news outlets haven’t been as successful making money in journalism as in their other businesses and have cut staff to minimize their losses.”
In Bacon’s view, journalism organizations have to focus on their public service missions, because of their inability to make money. (On this point, I take issue. Legacy media used to make a lot of money, but they have not adapted well to technological changes and the changing news habits of their audiences.)
Regardless of that aside, Bacon is right about focusing on mission. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, if not the right to make a profit in the process.
But in order to exercise their press rights, reporters and editors need to be able to make a living. That is at the heart of the crisis in journalism — it is a very difficult way to do that — and has been since the dawn of the web in the 1990s.
My own career is a cautionary tale. I had over 25 different employers in 55 years before retiring, despite spending 12 years at one place — the Center for Investigative Reporting.
I often held two or three jobs at the same time; it was always a terrific struggle to support my family and raise the kids. So if I were just starting out, would I do it all over the same way again now?
You betcha! Journalism is for people who want to uncover the facts, hold power accountable, and (hopefully) affect the course of events — even in small ways. Money is nice, but Raising Hell is better
.HEADLINES:
Trump backs off trade threats after Colombia agrees to deportation flights (WP)
Colombia backs down in row with Trump (AP)
Trump officials issue quotas to ICE officers to ramp up arrests (WP)
Elon Musk and the Decline of Western Civilization (Persuasion)
Among the Insurrectionists (New Yorker)
It’s been a week. Here’s how Trump’s actions so far could impact your money in California (SFC)
Hegseth’s Views May Clash With Reality at the Pentagon (NYT)
Israel’s Ceasefire Deals Face Test With Impasse on Gaza Refugees (Bloomberg)
Trump wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza. Here’s why the idea is rejected (AP)
Israel blocks thousands of Palestinians from northern Gaza (Reuters)
Rains arrive in fire-devastated California. Now concerns turn to mudslides. (USA Today)
Trump Stocks E.P.A. With Oil, Gas and Chemical Lobbyists (NYT)
Trump says he believes US will 'get Greenland' (BBC)
Graham says ‘a good chance’ Supreme Court sides with Trump on birthright citizenship (The Hill)
Resistance isn’t futile, as Seattle reminds the nation once again (Seattle Times)
The world is moving on to trade without the US (Financial Times)
How the U.S. Gamed the Law of the Sea (Atlantic)
What an Insomniac Knows (New Yorker)
‘Eternal You’ and the Ethics of Using A.I. to ‘Talk’ to Dead Loved Ones (NYT)
New Square Feature Allows Customers To Tip With Bible Quote (The Onion)
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