The second article in this series is about journalists. I have sixteen years of experience as a civil servant and fourteen years as a reporter and editor. Let's look back on my work at major newspapers, magazines and a television station and as a freelancer.
Benefits of journalists
1) Work and colleagues are really interesting
It is really interesting to follow world affairs, understand complicated phenomena, express them in an easy-to-understand manner, and convey the stories. For those with intellectual curiosity and strong writing skills, there is nothing more interesting than this job.
All my colleagues and bosses have that in mind, so there is a sense of unity that is not found in other workplaces.
They are avid readers, expressive, and have a rich vocabulary, so it is fun to talk with them. They have a wide range of knowledge, so I can learn from them. All of them are very smart, but their personalities and aura are diverse, and do not fall into a certain stereotype like civil servants.
2) Essentially creative work
The work of devising the content to be written on your beat and collecting the material is creative at the fundamental level. It is essentially different from public service work, which is like being given a proposition and solving an equation. As it is called "news," it must be either a new fact or new analysis, and there is little room for precedentism.
3) You can contribute to the world
No organizations volunteer to publish information that is disadvantageous to them or facts that are embarrassing for them.
Much of frauds, unreasonable things, and information on dangerous food and medicine has been revealed by the media's steady investigative journalism.
It also helps many people to disseminate a wide range of useful information.
4) You can take advantage of your aesthetic sense
For those who are confident in their aesthetic sense, it is very fun to think about how to show the articles they wrote. It's really exciting to draw rough sketches to convey ideas to the designers and to discuss with them and other editors what colors would match or not, or what orientation of the photo would be appropriate.
5) You can meet celebrities
This work is irresistible for groupies. You can meet people of all positions, including politicians, government officials, scholars, public relations representatives, experts in various fields, civic activists, and entertainers.
I was in charge of interviews with famous singers, magazine columns in which I visited celebrity homes and introduced their meals, etc. As such, I was able to experience incredible excitement that is impossible in normal life.
As a journalist, you can see celebrities and lectures up close while attending a press conference and securing a press seat at an event or conference.
Disadvantages of journalists
1) Many people die prematurely
As mentioned above, because the work is so interesting that is quite addictive. Therefore, many journalists work too much before they know it. They work around the clock and think about the content of the interview even on holidays. They keep doing this for many years and become overworked.
As a result, there are quite a few friends who passed in their 40s and 50s.
2) The future is unstable
In the past, major media outlets used to pay high salaries and their employees' income was stable, but the number of newspaper subscribers and TV ratings have been now declining.
The future is uncertain, as individuals with the ability to communicate and express themselves are playing an active role on video sites and blogs, and the function of AI article creation is improving.
...I guess that's it. I can't think of any other disadvantages.
If you're healthy, enjoy your work moderately, and don't have to worry about your income, there is no problem.
Thankfully, after many years of working I finally got this position. Now I continue to write my views with 100% honesty, without worrying about even the editor-in-chief or the president.
