SUNOASIS JOBLOG - SEPTEMBER 2007

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Read the excellent summary of the recent Periodical Publishers Association on "The Rise of the Super Editor."

"To journalism students, I say that you should prepare for a lifetime of learning, and your job will change over time."

Do you aspire to write for TV or the movies? Read this Los Angeles Times account of how the system has been working of late. The Writer's Guild of America, West is trying to address the situation which finds "networks...relying heavily on nonunion scribes and guild writers who are quietly working outside of union contracts..."

It reminds me that writers have to be especially alert in the new media environment. Everyone who creates content is either dreaming of riches or protecting their riches. Writers, who tend to be naive, can be caught up in the excitement all the time losing their shirt. Learn the new system! Don't throw yourself into it like a vestal virgin into the fire.

Some tips:

• Treat contracts with respect by reading and understanding everything in them.
• Better yet, understand all the rights bundled with your copyright.
• Understand all the ways in which content can be used today, including on mobile phones.

The perspective offered in this release is a solid one. The author says that even today networking remains the best way to find a good job. He feels that job hunters are getting lazy because technology has made job hunting relatively painless. "You don't have to worry about rejection when you're in front of your computer, but the prospect of being denied a networking opportunity from an individual is very demoralizing to many."

For some perspective on freelance writing we turn to Ghana to find out what this "challenging option" is about. For the majority of freelance writers it is not about the money, it's about "new opportunities for growth and independent critical thinking, which have become more so valuable in the conduct of my everyday life."

It interests me because years ago I ran an article on C/Oasis from "a freelance writer from Ghana" named Emmanuel Ayah Okwabi. I remember him saying that his main source for stories was "the chief called Amamorley, outside the national capital, Accra," and towards the end of his article he recommends tuning into the internet to search databases. We should always remind ourselves that everywhere in the world people strive to be free and more resourceful than their circumstances allow.

If you are stuck in your job search you might be thinking too much about it. The advice from this writer is very sound: "...focus your energy on getting offers. When you get real offers, you can make real decisions. At the end of the day, all job offers are good."

There is an interesting controversy as detailed in this article. Some college newspapers are going fully on-line and ditching their print editions. This is creating some problems. On the one hand there is the attitude, "We want you to be so Web savvy because that's where the jobs are," but on the other people always want options. Taking an option away from a person is a good way to start a fight.

Is "citizen journalism" changing a few things in India? Yes, yes it appears to be.

Poynter.org is running a "Seven Wonders of the Journalism World" survey. If you have any ideas of what is truly a wonder in journalism you can choose from categories like Documents, People, and Institutions.

Know how to work a job fair! It will increase your potency in the game of networking.

It says that 61% of ad and marketing executives plan on expanding staffs. I'm sure that includes copywriters. "The increase is driven in part by a need for professionals with online expertise..."

A nice quick tip on how to get $1,000 more in salary negotiations.

The Motley Fool has advice about how to prepare for layoffs by doing sensible things.

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David

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