journalism – Page 4 – The only certainty is bad grammar

hmm. should i write about this?

Published: February 20, 2009 / Updated: March 2, 2009 Crystal journalism, short

don’t think i didn’t see it coming. i mean for real, I saw it coming from like six months out. but holy man. when it actually happens. when you actually get a pay cut.

wow.

it hurts.

im not even sure how appropriate it is to be broadcasting this online, but seeing as some of my fellow reporters were nice enough to include the info on their facebook statuses, i figured – what the heck? everyone knows. the jig is up. newspapers are dying.

there. i said it. i am in a dying industry.

and i have spent the last umpteen years working my little behind off to be the very best i can be at this job. and for what? so they can cut my hours and eliminate their contribution to my 401k?

don’t worry. i’ll still be my dandy, chipper, hardworking self at work. i’ll still do my best in the time allotted to me. because im not the type to ever to stop giving it my all.

but in my soul of souls. in my heart of hearts. i know now. i get it.

i can’t stay in this field much longer.

i just can’t.

if only we knew in 1981, what we know now.

January 29, 2009 Crystal journalism

This video is HIL.ARIOUS! and a little sad. in a funny, depressing kind of way.

Circa’ 1981 news report: “Engineers now predict the day will come when we get all our newspapers and magazines by home computer. But that’s a few years off.”

AND

“It takes over two hours to receive the entire text of newspaper over the phone and with a $5 an hour use charge, the new tele-paper won’t be much competition for the 20-cent street edition.”

like i said. hilarious in a sad way.

h/t Journalism news.

if only taco bell would sponsor me

Published: January 18, 2009 / Updated: January 18, 2009 Crystal humor, im cool, journalism, long

so with journalism collapsing before my eyes (see here, here, and here) I’m starting to wonder about my life choice.

that train of thought has led me to seriously ponder how the heck anyone can make any money blogging. i signed up for a google ad account, which i haven’t even bothered incorporating into this site because i don’t know how, because nobody makes any freaking money from that anyway. (we’re talking like 3 cents a day people.) and because the ads are lame and who the heck EVER clicks on a google ad?

i have since concluded that a single, strong corporate sponsor is the way to go here. you know, in crystal fantasy land. (picture it: the only certainty is bad grammar. brought to you by your friends at blackberry). the only problem is a. i don’t have enough clicks yet and b. i have NO idea how to get a freaking sponsor. i imagine contacting someone in a skyrise and explaining to them that im really awesome would be the way to start, but after that I’ve got nothing.

im also very curious as to why some of my favorite bloggers, such as penelope trunk and alan speinwall, and even my friend kritta (whom i can only assume get MASSIVE clicks), don’t have ads on their sites. are they afraid of google? or do they not like to make money?

And while we’re on the topic, I’m not sure if this is an oversight or what, but a bazillon mobile sites have no ads whatsoever, i.e. the chicago tribune. YES, they have a blackberry shortcut, which like a good little chicagolander I have on my phone, but the thing is completely ad free. they are literally giving away their news. why? you’d think there’d at least be a little link on top that says “go eat subway for lunch today” or SOMETHING. what the heck are they thinking?

i haven’t quite gotten to the point where i’d like to set up a tip jar on my site for eDonations (although free money is ALWAYS welcome) but I’m wondering what ya’ll think.

yes, i’m aware that i have NO paid ads on my site, (either via the computer version or the mobile version) but i do plan to figure out that whole google ad thing soon, so don’t be shocked if you see a link telling you that you CAN in fact lose all the belly fat by following one simple rule.

also, for those out there with things to sell, you should know that I’d totally sacrifice my integrity to write nice things about your product if you give me money. (i.e. I LOVE harris bank. you guys should go bank there. AND im so craving a tropicana lemonade, you should go get one and then drink it).