A Rant

Well, after all, this is the Rant Farm.

I need a moment to vent about the career field I have chosen for myself. I got into journalism because I felt I actually have some talent when it comes to writing, and the other journalism-y things just seemed to come naturally. Journalism sounds like a respectable field. When you go to parties and people ask what you do, and you say "journalist," I'll admit it sounds impressive.

However, no one tells you before you get into the j-field that it is looked upon with the same respect that garbage men command.

I get so frustrated with and tired of journalists always being dumped on. We're called liberals (which in itself is not really an insult, but since journalists are supposed to be unbiased, its intended meaning changes), communists, stupid, incompetent, inflexible, sensationalist...etc. I myself have been insulted on numerous occasions for what I do for a living. People really have NO understanding of how journalism works.

Everyone complains that they want fair and balanced coverage that we're not giving them. Yet they piss and moan all over us when we don't do a story entirely on their point of view. Why don't we? Because it's not fair and balanced.

Every time there's a controversial issue, people explode when we feature BOTH sides. Why? Because they feel that putting the other side in ruins their message. Yeah, well, that's not our problem. Yet, I still have to waste my time explaining this to these people over the phone and by e-mail. Over and over and over again. All the while they are calling me a liberal leftist communist bastard or whatever...and I'm supposed to sit here with my $50K a year and just swallow it? Want me to bend over, too? WTF?

Journalism has tainted my view of people. While I have encountered many nice folks who just have an interesting story to tell, there are still the flies in the ointment. The people who use and take advantage of you, yet still turn around and complain to your boss -- or anyone who will listen -- that it was your paper who took advantage of them! Shady. Shady, shady people. No common sense. They'll do anything to get their way. They want fair media, but they want it to be fair only when it favors them. It. Does. Not. Make. Sense.

I guess it's just really annoying to have to deal every day with people unhappy about EVERYTHING, and blaming you for it. They're grumpy, cranky, angry, etc., about things that happened in their past, which has turned them into the person they are today, and they have to take it out on you. Now it's the newspaper's fault we're not fulfilling their needs. Seriously, you'd be surprised at some of the calls/letters/e-mails/comments I receive. And some of them get really personal. All because I chose to be a journalist? WTF? That doesn't seem right.

I've been thinking about pursuing graphic design. I don't know how much money this will cost. If it's a lot, obviously I won't be able to do it. But I do want to look into what it would entail.

I'm not saying I don't have a thick skin. I'm just saying that this stuff is so irritating after a while! Anyway, I'm done ranting. Now I have to go to a meeting where who knows what will happen. Ciao!