An uncertain future

Times are bad right now for journalism, and they're only going to get worse, so the experts say.

I suppose that's why a number of professionals have asked me, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" And why I was cautioned a number of times throughout college that I may want to look into another field. The signs of trouble ahead were evident when I first enrolled in the Communication/Journalism program at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., and they amplified as the years went by. But I plunged forward, anyway, because, yes this is what I want to do. I walked the stage with a C/J degree and now I'm about to pursue an M.A. in Journalism.

As often as I've been questioned about my career choice, I've heard far more people say, "Make sure you do something that you love." They say it makes going to work bareable, even worthwhile and enjoyable. I've found that passion in journalism, and that's why I'm as confident as ever that I've made the right choice - even though the industry forecast continues to call for stormy weather ahead.

My main interests are newspapers and online. We're at a crossroads right now in which newspapers are still trying to figure out online. How to make the shift, how to be profitable in the process, how print and online should work together, how print and online should be different, and where the majority of their resources should be going are just a few questions being asked. Some newspapers are further ahead of others in this digital age. But big questions still remain. What will the future hold and what role will the latest technologies (and new ones) play 5, 10 years from now and beyond?

Naturally, I'm keeping a keen eye on all of this. It's the industry I've chosen to join, and the uncertain future of journalism directly affects my future. I'm doing my absolute best to prepare for what that future may hold. That's what led me to the Masters in Journalism program at DePaul University, which emphasizes the online, convergent newsroom and social responsibility of journalism. I start classes for that in less than a month.

This blog will give me an outlet to share my thoughts as time goes on, sure to continue to evolve along with the industry itself, and a place to monitor the rapid changes going on all around us in the media.

I'd encourage comments, especially from others in the journalism industry or those interested in technology, the Internet, and new media, as I am. By combining your insight with my own, I'm sure we can learn more together about where journalism is and where it might be going.