OJR: The Online Journalism Review

Online Journalism Discussion

Making the jump from TV news production to newspaper/online writing

I am wondering if anyone has thoughts on how easy or difficult it is to go from a job at a TV station to working at a daily paper or online equal.

Submitted by Chet McMaster
Posted: 2007-03-15
As I approach undergrad graduation, I'm trying to keep an open mind on full-time employment. I've always felt that news writing was my real passion, but because I am unable to get an offer at a full-time daily right now, I'm considering a producer position at a TV station in Madison, WI. It sounds like a great job, but if I take it, am I beginning to close the window on getting a full-time writing gig at a daily paper or online equivalent in a few years?

Responses:

From Robert Niles on March 16, 2007 at 12:54 PM

Go see the person who runs the website at your station and express an interest in blogging for the station website. Obviously, your first priority as a recent hire is to learn your job and do it well. But let it be known that you want to more than just that to help the station, and that you'd like to write for the website if the opportunity is available, too.

That will help keep your text-writing skills sharp and give you online experience. You'll likely find many newspapers interested hiring a TV producer with online skills and a love for newswriting for their online staff. From there, writing for the print side is usually just a matter of volunteering, pitching a good feature to the right editor.

From Chet McMaster on March 18, 2007 at 9:38 PM

That's a wonderful suggestion. Thanks, Robert!