A possible career choice for me...need Revleft's opinion

[Os Cangaceiros]

...which I will promptly ignore.

Anyway, I've been thinking lately about possibly getting into a career in journalism. Oddly enough, it's actually been the events in the middle east lately that has made me more interested in it. Odd because cowering in your darkened hotel room while artillery shells land outside in Libya or getting beaten down in the streets of Cairo probably wouldn't appeal to most people, but being in that sort of chaotic environment and seeing history unfold actually sounds exciting to me. Terrifying in a way, but also exciting. I've often had kind of a semi-interest in journalism, though, mostly from reading National Geographic as a kid.

Of course, most journalists just work for local stations and cover shit like PTA meetings and other things of that excitement level, but I've known a few people who have gone overseas and worked...one guy in particular who was a former fisherman went over and did some war correspondance in Iraq for the Anchorage Daily News.

But I don't know...I don't think that I'd want to work for any sort of major conglomerate, not because of any principled anti-corporate stance or anything stupid like that, but just because I think I'd go insane doing that, but at the same time I don't think I'd want to work for any kind of "fringe" publication (like what Brad Will did in Oaxaca before his murder) which wouldn't have a wide audience. So it's probably a pipe dream anyway. I did pick up a journalism & news writing book at a thrift store for 50 cents today, though.

[thesadmafioso]

I would actually presume high profile assignments such as overseas correspondence to be quite sought after, as they tend to be rather large draws and thus get the individual reporter a decent bit of attention. So I don't know how realistic it would be to aim for that sort of work if you are just getting into the industry.

[Ele'ill]

http://www.revleft.com/vb/getting-into-journalism-t153299/index.html

[southernmissfan]

www.examiner.com

Ran across that site on Monster.com while looking for jobs. Not what you are looking for but maybe it would be a good start?

[Os Cangaceiros]

http://www.revleft.com/vb/getting-into-journalism-t153299/index.html

Damn, other people think like me? :mellow:

[Wanted Man]

Fucking do it!

Also, if you're interested in foreign correspondence in the Middle East, you should read People Like Us (http://www.amazon.com/People-Like-Us-Misrepresenting-Middle/dp/1593762569/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303889573&sr=8-1) by Luyendijk, which has apparently been translated into English and published in the US. A disillusioning (but not discouraging) and really interesting read about precisely this subject matter. It may not always be possible to be a mainstream journalist and a consistent communist or anarchist, but it is most definitely possible to distinguish oneself as a journalist of the Luyendijk variety (and I'm sure there are many great American role models as well).

[black magick hustla]

...which I will promptly ignore.

Anyway, I've been thinking lately about possibly getting into a career in journalism. Oddly enough, it's actually been the events in the middle east lately that has made me more interested in it. Odd because cowering in your darkened hotel room while artillery shells land outside in Libya or getting beaten down in the streets of Cairo probably wouldn't appeal to most people, but being in that sort of chaotic environment and seeing history unfold actually sounds exciting to me. Terrifying in a way, but also exciting. I've often had kind of a semi-interest in journalism, though, mostly from reading National Geographic as a kid.

Of course, most journalists just work for local stations and cover shit like PTA meetings and other things of that excitement level, but I've known a few people who have gone overseas and worked...one guy in particular who was a former fisherman went over and did some war correspondance in Iraq for the Anchorage Daily News.

But I don't know...I don't think that I'd want to work for any sort of major conglomerate, not because of any principled anti-corporate stance or anything stupid like that, but just because I think I'd go insane doing that, but at the same time I don't think I'd want to work for any kind of "fringe" publication (like what Brad Will did in Oaxaca before his murder) which wouldn't have a wide audience. So it's probably a pipe dream anyway. I did pick up a journalism & news writing book at a thrift store for 50 cents today, though.
i imagine its p. hard to get paid for it but nobody is gonna stop you of scrapping some money and just getting lost in the middle east with a laptop. maybe if its good someone will pick you up

[manic expression]

Go after your dreams.

Here's a way you can start right now: start learning the main language of whatever region you want to cover, if you haven't already. A little bit every day will do wonders.

[Savage]

be a correspondent to the People's War

[praxis1966]

I don't mean to piss on your parade, ES, but I actually started out as a journalism major in college. The reason I left (which you may be able to handle, I dunno) for what I saw as greener pastures was the fact that I couldn't stand the fucking editorial process. I got sick of what I perceived as inferior writers [my editors] looking me in the face and saying, "Oh, this is wonderful! I love it!" only to turn around and rearrange a key sentence or two... usually to ruinous effect. The worst bit is after you turn a piece in you've basically lost control over it at that point. There's no recourse if you don't like what your editor has done with something.

[bricolage]

Dunno about America but here most people that want to be journalists now end up doing at least year of unpaid internship without any promise of a job at the end. It's tricky stuff.