Ask the Horntooter

Q: From the second the sun hits the midday sky until I fall asleep when I come home from the clubs, I really, really, REALLY want to be a journalist. I have a degree, but I didn’t work at my college paper because I wanted to focus on my degree and keep my summers free for touring Europe. What do I need to do to break into the industry? I’m SURE I’m what it needs.

A: Thank you for writing. As you know, I’m here to help people like you who have followed the proper course but just haven’t gotten the right break.

As I often say, experience is vastly overrated, especially at college newspapers. Those publications have advisers who do most of the work, and the staffers rarely work 40-hour weeks.

Have you tried applying at the smaller major metropolitan newspapers? Many of those staffs could use someone with the desire that you have. There, you could build up clips, and if you’re patient, you could try again at the major metros in 4 to 6 months.

In the meantime, I suggest doing some writing for your local non-profit groups. Yes, you could spend your time working at a non-writing job for pay, but why go in a direction away from the one you seek? You know where you’re headed; now you just have to keep demonstrating your desire.

I have confidence in you. Your only barriers seem to be patience -- and time.

Q: I am a copy editor at a large newspaper. Unlike many of my colleagues, I took the low road and used my experience to get the job. We're starting to have a problem here with "no-edit" policies on columns. Several of the writers apparently have clauses that say their work should run with no changes, so we're more like matadors than copy editors. I'm starting to wonder if I should try to find a newspaper that lets me do the job I'm capable of.

A: I'm disappointed in your attitude. It shows a lack of desire. Many of the youngsters I interact with really want a job like the one you have, and yet you are prepared to leave over a minor issue.

It's almost as if you believe a column with a major factual error might get into the paper. Even if it did, it's not as if it would run in dozens of other newspapers. Today's young, hungry copy editors would never allow that to happen.

You should stay where you are and let the chips fall where they may. In a couple of years, you may not have improved much copy, but your stick-to-itiveness will be admired.

Q: I just graduated from college, and I have an offer to report for a metro newspaper. I want to accept it, but I'm starting to have some doubts. The city has been in decline for decades, and large areas of it are practically in ruins. The newspaper seems to be in denial about the whole thing. Plus, circulation has fallen considerably at the paper. I'm concerned about being able to take the next step from this job.

A: To me, it sounds like the perfect opportunity. OK, so there's an occasional homicide. It sounds like a fertile ground for a young, budding journalist to thrive.

Be careful about suggesting changes in philosophy if you take the job. After all, the readers don't want to see gloom and doom on the front page every day. But that doesn't mean you can't put together some fabulous clips; just alter your focus slightly. Instead of writing about felons, why not write about fire hydrants? Your readers see those on a daily basis, and they can provide a strong visual, which will earn you points with your design desk.

In short, don't be in a rush to change the world, or even that little corner of it. When the time is right, the newspaper can start to address the more serious issues.