The New Reality

 

The Real ME

I know it’s been a long time since I posted on my blog. But I have been totally focused on survival in a world that is increasingly shaky for journalists and others in the media. Every day I read the trades and on-line newsletters about the hundreds if not thousands of people in the media who are losing their jobs. That’s only for one industry… not including the thousands being laid off, downsized and put out to pasture in other industries. Never in my lifetime have I seen such a negative economic situation. Regardless of who is eventually elected president (Barack), he will have his hands full dealing with the legacy of the Bushes. We are indeed in a new global reality and I’m not sure we have a total grasp of what that really means. When I see the thousands of people who are out of work, I thank God that I made my transition from the traditional newsroom ahead of the curve two years ago. I find myself thinking, where are all those unemployed journalists going to work? Some will make their transition into PR or academia. Others will be like me and try their hand at entrepreneurship. Despite the fact that I have been out here for two years, I am still facing a steep learning curve going from the confines of corporate America to fending for myself. I am learning something every day and I find out how much more I have to learn every day. So what is happening to others who find themselves in my circumstances? There just aren’t that many PR, teaching or otherwise journalism related jobs out there. I don’t presume to have the answers to all these questions, but it has caused me to pause and do some deep reflection on my life, my family and our world. Whether we like it or not, we are in the middle of a revolution. The result of that revolution will profoundly affect the way all of us live. The challenge for us is whether we are ready to deal with this new reality.