The news media industry is changing. Long gone are the days when ratings and earnings weren’t required and massive staffs of old hawks were employed to create 30 minutes of perfected, unbiased fact. Here to stay are the days of digital journalists, predators (producer/editors) and one-man bands (a correspondent who can write, shoot, edit and be on camera).

Rising costs and diminishing ad revenue have forced the industry to change its model, but this doesn’t mean that the flashing sign next to the news studio is reading “no access.”

There is no question that the media industry has always been a difficult market to break into, and with the current job market, you might think it would be a bad time to try and get in. But, while the industry has been shedding many of its tenured employees, they have actually been adding less-experienced, entry-level type personnel. Plus, with less employees around to produce the same amount of airtime, more is being asked of everyone on board.

So what do you need to know to help you get your foot in the door?

First and foremost, be prepared to start with freelance work. Media companies, specifically production-based companies, are notorious for having their entry-level employees start on a temporary basis. It is partly a rite of passage and partly that financial costs have outgrown ad revenue (specifically for network news). But this shouldn’t be viewed as a total negative. Most freelance work has a specific end date; you will know if you are going to be promoted or canned. While this may seem daunting, it will give you a set schedule of promotion. Work your ass off for six months and you will be rewarded.

Next, be willing to take a job outside of the top program. Most people that have the desire to enter into news aspire to have a glamorous job working for Nightly News or TODAY.  But most times, to gain status in these top-level programs takes a few years of being an assistant and making coffee and copies. You may be better off working at a local station or cable network and getting some hands-on experience. These areas are running with bare bones staffs, so anyone that gets in the door has a great chance of getting some actual responsibility.  That said: if you want to work in news gathering and production, don’t take a job in ad sales and vice versa. It is true that you will have mobility once you are in the industry, but making drastic changes inside the company can be almost as hard as getting your foot in the door in the first place.

Finally, look for development and training programs at the big networks. Both NBC and CBS have page programs that hire some hundred people a year into programs designed for entry level employees. And while you may have to swallow your pride and your bank account to make it through the program’s six to 12 months, you will leave most likely with a full-time position but at the very least with an incredible network of contacts and enough lines on your resume to take your skills to your next position.  Plus, these programs have a reputation and a huge network throughout the industry that you will be able to take with you wherever you go.  Yours truly is a product of one such program, and found employment directly out of the program and was promoted within my first year of work.

So while the market may be down, opportunity is available to get the hands-on experience in a few months that would usually take years to achieve. You might not be able to land a six-figure salary right now. But in a few years, you can deposit the experience you are certain to gain directly in the bank.

Pete Boogaard - March 25, 2009 - 7:40 am
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