Yesterday I ranted, but today will
be a much more laid back column. And one to help me with a school assignment as
I am in the middle of the first of the final two weeks of the term. Our final
project in Business Communications has us doing a presentation to basically
sell us for a position at a company. The job I selected was being an opinion
writer for the Portland Press Herald. And
I figured as one of the steps into forming the presentation I should explain
somewhere why this job means so much to me.
It starts with the fact that I grew
up reading the Portland Press
Herald/Maine Sunday Times. It is the major paper read throughout Southern
Maine. I mean yes there are other papers that are distributed but we call those
the free papers in general. When you refer to the paper you are referring to
the Herald or the Times. It is the biggest newspaper in Portland and the area
around it. I’ve always had respect for their reporters and opinion writers.
And even if I go to work there it doesn’t
mean I am giving up my fiction writing career. It just means I have a day job
while I am getting it off the ground. And no that isn’t going into the
presentation. But I figure if I am going to give my two cents why not get paid
for it, and paid by a company I admire as well as normally respect. I’ve
disagreed with the paper before. I’m not always going to agree with them I can
accept that.
I could even cover the city after 1
am. Though there will be more on that tomorrow. But responding to events
unfolding with my two cents and being paid for it has an appeal to it. And to
have it possibly go bigger than just one newspaper is even more enticing. Yes,
I am ambitious. But to have the chance to earn and gain the respect of my
fellow Portlanders is a chance I want to take. And there is also the chance to
earn prices in journalism as well as the possibility to influence the business
of journalism.
And let’s face it the business of
journalism is majorly out of whack. It used to be that the reporter stayed
neutral when reporting the news or at the very least gave equal time to both
sides. Now they are so one sided either way it is not even funny. The news
needs to get back more to the center and further away from being entertainment.
And more back to being informative like it was intended to be from the
beginning.
It’s one thing when the opinion
pieces take sides, but not the whole newspaper or newscast. There needs to be a
sense of balance in the news even in the opinion section, which is what I want
to bring to being an opinion writer. But more importantly I want to walk into
the job speaking up for injustices constantly. Be they locally or broader in
scope. Every injustice deserves to be spoken up for.
Even if I am passed over for the
White House Correspondents Dinner so be it, but it would be nice to be in the
running for it. Probably the only way I will be invited to the White House that
I can foresee realistically. But for me it is more about earning the respect of
my friend, family, and local community. As well as to bring more respect and
prestige to the newspaper. To work for the Portland
Press Herald/Maine Sunday Times is a dream job for me that I want to
accomplish badly.
And I know I got on my soap box a
bit today and I apologize for that. But feel free to
leave your comments and questions below. And if you want my columns to appear
in your email enter your email address in the box below where it says to follow
by email. As for me I have some studying to do as always. *Tips his hat and
walks out the door. *
I think you would be great at it best of luck.
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