Lousy pay, bad hours, cranky critics – you’ll love it

By Ivan Morgan

One of my careers was as a journalist. Truth be told, I consider myself a journalist. I have been reading journalism my whole life. I read the Globe and Mail every day for over 45 years. I read The Evening Telegram (then The Telegram) since I was old enough to read right up to last year. When I was in grade school I would sit at the breakfast table and correct the mistakes on the front page of The Daily News, a morning paper back then. Next time you screw up at work, think of the editor who in the rush to remake the front page and get the paper out during an unexpected heavy snowfall published: “City Covered in Snot.”
I worry that the state of journalism today is very poor. I love journalism, I think it’s vital to a healthy society, and that’s why I’m concerned. Other than this glorious publication, which I am very proud to be part of, and a few pay sites, there isn’t much quality journalism happening.
I don’t want to be one of those grumpy old “everything was better in my day” guys. Instead, I want to reach out to young people toying with the idea of pursuing journalism or currently practicing it. We need you! Desperately!
A good career choice? In my day the pay was lousy, the hours atrocious and you could easily bring loads of personal abuse on yourself. It was great!
I have every reason to believe that hasn’t changed.
That shouldn’t put you off. I want to encourage young journalists because of what I see as great opportunity.
Opportunity? Open your eyes and look around. There is next to no good investigative journalism happening. So, does that mean everything is good, people are all honest and law-abiding? Everything is coming up roses?
My spidey sense tells me otherwise. It tells me a lot of stuff is going undetected. I promise you there is malfeasance everywhere. People are up to no good, lining their pockets illegally, perpetrating all manner of shenanigans. And not getting caught. Not being exposed.
To ambitious young journalists this should be encouraging. Your guidelines? I always used the motto, “Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”
Sure, journalism is changing – it’s always changing. I used to trust and rely on the mainstream media. I don’t anymore. We have government funded state media which really needs an overhaul. (Do I have a problem with them? Yes. But full disclosure, I have always had a problem with them.)
Young journalists should be striking out on their own. It’s not a new thing, but it is much needed right now. I believe there is a market for courageous journalism. I think it’s needed. Challenge the status quo! It’s important. It’s fun!
For instance? When I was young religion and religious organizations were above criticism. Absolutely untouchable. That’s how we ended up with Mount Cashel. Nowadays it’s others who cannot be criticized – or else. Now there is a new religion and just like their counterparts of yesteryear they are all about shutting you down – cancelling you – if you dare speak up. Selfrighteousness should always be a red flag to a journalist.
In the late 1980s a bunch of young journalists working for an upstart local newspaper called The Sunday Express took on big religion, opening up the horrors of Mount Cashel to the world. The publisher and editor of this publication was part of that crew.
In the late 1990s I played a small role in a breast cancer testing scandal investigation when I worked for a small local upstart paper – The Independent. My colleague broke that story. My God it was exciting. We took on big government. The pushback! We were called meddling idiots, muckrakers, scandalmongers, ambulance chasers. We didn’t blink. People died because of incompetence which was covered up. We exposed it. Don’t believe me? Read Justice Margaret Cameron’s masterful report on her Inquiry into this issue. It’s on the Web.
I honestly believe there is a great need for more good journalism – hard-hitting, honest investigative reporting. People are starved for the truth. Where are the young journalists today? I know they are out there.
Journalism isn’t dead, its just sleeping. Time for someone to wake it up. I have been told that with the “death” of newspapers has come the death of journalism. Nonsense. Newspapers aren’t failing because they are outdated. They fail because they are not interesting. Good papers thrive.
Want proof of what I am saying?
You are reading one right now.
Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com