Saturday, September 12, 2009

My long, self-pitying rant

I really hope my life this year isn't a preview of what life as a journalist will be like after college. I've been so busy I barely have time to do anything that's not work. I'm desperately trying not to fall behind in my classes. While I feel like I'm succeeding with that, it means I have no time to exercise, eat anything that requires more than 30 seconds preparation time, do my own laundry, read anything that's not for school or news, partake in any hobbies or see friends with any frequency at all. I know it's kind of a special circumstance, I am pretty much doing the entire news section by myself (for those that don't listen to me complain every day, the news editor usually has two assistants, I have none) and that the job of a "section editor" for the Sagebrush actually means being a section editor, lead reporter, design assistant and Web technician, plus going to school full-time.
Ok, so as I'm writing this I'm realizing that there's no way being a reporter in the real world will be this much work, because it's not four jobs thrown on top of school. I'm still getting close to burning out though, and I'm trying to work through it because I know I want to be a journalist. I would quit the Sagebrush, but I signed up for a year and have a sense of obligation. That and I genuinely like the people I work with, and don't want to completely screw them over by leaving. I guess I am just kind of going through the motions to get through the year though.
I'm sorry to anyone who is reading this, I know nobody wants to read my ranting complaints, but writing it down helps me. I would keep it to myself but being a journalist, part of writing is publishing.
Moving on though. So being an editor has made me realize that I HATE managing people who don't know what they're doing. I am an absolutely dreadful teacher. That aside, how do you get to college without basic writing skills? And worse yet, how do you expect to specialize in journalism (or English, I have a few of those) without the same basic writing skills? I literally had a writer who didn't use apostrophes until his third draft! And he got mad at me when I edited his copy because he was editor of his high school paper and thought that made him hot shit. Sorry bud, but that just makes you sound pathetic, not cool.
The worst part about this is all the behind the scenes crap. I spend at least 20 hours a week doing stuff people aren't even supposed to notice. If you think making a newspaper is just writing and reporting, you're only about .0000001 percent of the way there.
To top all this off, I'm way behind in trying to find an internship for this summer. Sidenote: I'm killing myself to be more appealing for an internship where I will make no money and live in a (most likely) very expensive city. So long cushy firefighting job that makes me rich compared to my peers, I'll miss you. End sidenote.
I'm trying to look forward to things though. Danyelle comes back from Mexico in December, and next fall I'm going to be studying abroad (if all goes well). I honestly love journalism and the Sagebrush, but hate being a section editor.
So there's that.

4 comments:

  1. I have faith that you'll get through it. Being a section editor is tough, and if you're having a rough first semester, it means you're doing something right.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hang in there. And if all else fails, a mean whiskey on the rocks should fix you up just right.

    But you didn't hear that from me.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks guys. And Krystal, the whiskey doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Think Atlanta for your internship.... big city.... FREE HOUSING!
    Hang in there...it will all be worth it in the end!

    ReplyDelete