Fireflies to a flame

High OP course barriers, three years of university, months and weeks of of unpaid internships and maybe, just maybe, you'll move thousands of kilometres, be paid something not far off minimum wage and enter a stressful, often understaffed and under-resourced industry we call broadcast journalism. But, that's only if you're lucky...

According to The Australian, while 4750 students were enrolled in journalism in 2010, nation-wide, only 9000 journalists are employed.

So what is the attraction? 

For me, it was to be on TV. Solely and wholely, that was all I wanted out of my Business/ Journalism degree. No great ambitions to report from war zones, sit in court trials or talk politics in Canberra. Simply, TV. I guess I never got over that fascination we all had as kids...or I'm just egocentric.

So when my first year of journalism was all 'inverted pyramids' and print, I thought I'd made a mistake. But the time came for Radio and Television Journalism, and while my previously dedicated and passionate journo-comrades dreaded their prac weeks... I counted down the days, and seeing our first packages cut and posted... I was sold. (Even if I look back on them and cringe).

Just so you can cringe with me too! (try around 9:45)

Thankfully, my ambitions to be a great reporter have overtaken those to see myself on TV, but according to most, I've fallen in love with a career that's dramatically changing and downsizing.  Every broadcast medium is apparently converging with online, and video journalists will soon play the role of journo and camo combined.

I asked Spencer Howson as a guest of our #QUTOJ1 Lecture whether his pervasive social media presence was tiring to uphold. He replied, he loved constantly being a part of the conversation, connecting with people; whether to establish relationships with listeners or remove the PR middleman to more easily secure interviews.

As a social media "native", I should adopt and adapt to social media just as readily, if not more competently, than Spencer, a so called "foreigner". But as one #QUTOJ1-er tweeted: "@spencerhowson is a twitter god"... how can I compete with that? And, do I want to?

The answer is no.

Perhaps time and a job in the industry will change me, but as technology continues to infiltrate our lives, social media becomes more accessible and news production, generation and promotion happens increasingly on these platforms, the ability for a journalist to "switch off" seems impossible. But, it seems I have no choice in the matter.