AUGUST 30,2010
Wow. It’s been EXACTLY one year since I started working at News10. And, it has been 16 years for me in the media business.
A year ago, the 49er Fire erupted and news crews from Sacramento were scrambling to cover the developments. I had just returned from 3 weeks in Guatemala and Honduras. Upon returning to Sacramento, I was in the right place at the right time to be immediately dispatched to cover breaking news.
I’ve been a professional news reporter for 16 years. I’m amazed at how much has changed and how little has changed. I remember my starting salary as a reporter: $20,000. Age: 20. Living in a small farming town. Ouch. This was after I graduated with a double major and honors from University of California, San Diego. I put aside my law school application and decided that journalism was my calling.
For years, credit cards helped me stay afloat and pay for food, rent, gas, clothes, and makeup. I’m not certain what the starting salary is for a beginning reporter these days in market 121, but I know it isn’t much.
16 years and many stops later, I’ve seen so many colleagues’ come and go—including news directors and general managers. There have been massive changes to the media landscape. Journalism—tv and print-- has seen dramatic downsizing, layoffs, and cutbacks. For those who are still lucky to be in journalism, it’s a labor of love. It’s certainly not because of the salary or the benefits.
I still pursue the craft of writing, of telling a good story, of learning and sharing. Some days are better than others. For now, I’m still a believer.
Email: sphan@news10.net
Twitter: @suzannephan
Facebook: SuzannePhanNews10
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