Session Host: Yu Vongkiatkajorn and Simon Nyi<\/p>\n
Reporter: Jesse Hardman & Yu Vongkiatkajorn<\/p>\n
Participants:
\nKeegan Clements-Housser
\nJesse Hardman
\nSimon Galperin
\nMark Rellman
\nLisa Heyamoto
\nGracie McKenzie<\/p>\n
Notes:
\nThe purpose of the session was to open up a space for people to discuss what’s usually a taboo topic in journalism: fair wages and how little journalism pays. Participants shared what brought them to the session and questions they were dealing with. <\/p>\n
Simon N. Worked in a college newsroom. Avoided working as a reporter on the hill because knew I had student debt. Risk adverse. Was never an option to just \u2018do what I love.\u2019 Doesn’t work in traditional journalism now, but has economic security. Such a taboo to talk about fact that journalism doesn\u2019t pay. Spaces need to be created to talk about this.<\/p>\n
Simon G. -has lots of college\/grad school debt. Wondering: what can we do moving forward actionable moments in changing paradigm of what journalism pays? Tough to get experience (internships) to get to a job when internships don\u2019t pay very well. Have always wanted to start an intern rights org. <\/p>\n
Mark- graduating from U of Oregon and going into corporate PR, not journalism. Important to take burden of college debt off students. “I want a livelihood and career that can grow.” <\/p>\n
Lisa- Teaches at UO J-school. As a journalism teacher I\u2019m dealing with j school students every day who see this problem on the horizon. It’s tough, because students feel that they are signing up for a really difficult financial future.
\nOther aspect, as a mid-career person, I think about my own path. I\u2019ve got two kids, partner in media. Many years trying to balance passion\/finance. Academia has provided a living wage. Making enough to not worry really helps. <\/p>\n
The journalism model has been disrupted, and there are all these opportunities, but they don\u2019t pay well, if at all.<\/p>\n
Gracie- Citylab DC. Does social media for the site. Senior project in college was history, politics and intersection. Feels like she can’t speak out about fair wages without potentially feeling repercussions in her work. <\/p>\n
Simon- We need to talk about this issue, but it puts burden on people who are willing to actually put this topic out there and might be affected. <\/p>\n
Lisa – Prestige can get in the way of actually coming up with a plan that works. <\/p>\n
Simon \u2013 If you start conversation around Unionizing a media outlet, you can get labeled a troublemaker.<\/p>\n
Keegan \u2013 Notes that he is getting paid more from an international media outlet than in the US. We have to challenge the concept that there is not money in media. Call them out on that. <\/p>\n
Other Simon \u2013 working in community media you hear mainstream journalists say, we don\u2019t have time to go cover something.
\nGannett has money, it\u2019s just not going to the product, and reporters. <\/p>\n
Yu- When Mother Jones fellows recently asked for (and successfully) received minimum wage, they argued that their work was crucial to the magazine. <\/p>\n
Some overall takeaways and common themes: <\/p>\n
Session Host: Yu Vongkiatkajorn and Simon Nyi Reporter: Jesse Hardman & Yu Vongkiatkajorn Participants: Keegan Clements-Housser Jesse Hardman Simon Galperin Mark Rellman Lisa Heyamoto Gracie McKenzie Notes: The purpose of the session was to open up a space for people … Continue reading