Coming to UP Tuesday, Mark Leibovich, the New York Times Magazine chief national correspondent, called The Beacon from the Democratic National Convention and offered insight about journalism and the p
(Photo courtesy of fromthebarn.org)
By Harry Blakeman, Staff Writer blakeman15@up.edu
Q & A
Q: Did you work for your college newspaper?
A: I did not, actually. I didn't have a day of journalism experience until my first job, which was at The Boston Phoenix-which is a weekly in Boston.
But no, I never worked at The Michigan Daily. I was an English major, and I didn't know what I was going to do. After kicking around for a few months, I decided I always liked writing, so I got this job at The Phoenix.
I was answering phones for a couple of years, and eventually I was so bad at that they let me be a writer for a while and it sort of stuck.
Q: Are there any specific issues that you'd like to instill the students' interest in?
A: Not really, I think that journalism in particular is just a passion of mine. I think it's important, that given that the media is not always an institution that is held in very high public esteem, that people sort of look at it as an industry that is not noble, not trustworthy.
With a lot of newspapers not doing well, there's also a perception that it's failing. I happen to think that this is a very exciting dynamic time to be in print journalism.
I'm always an evangelist with this profession. This is a profession that's taken some knocks, but in some ways we are all journalists these days because new media allows us to be.
Q: Why do you think the 2012 election is important?
A: I think it's very important - well first of all, all of them are - but I think this one in particular has pretty clear boundaries. I mean there have been elections in recent history where you had both candidates essentially viewed as catering to the center.
I think right now the ideas of the two parties are pretty differentiated. I think it's a decisive time in our history - as it always is - but it seems to me a little more acute than usual.
Q: How would you say this election affects students the most?
A: I think being in college for a presidential election - and if you're in college for four years you're probably going to be there through one - is very important because I think college organizing is something both campaigns have recognized.
I think it's a time in your life where it's much easier to get involved in a campaign because most people don't have mortgages, fewer people have families, and it's a time to marry your education to getting involved in something. Plus you get an education by doing it.
Q: Do you have any advice for budding journalists or anyone who might be interested in pursuing a career similar to yours?
A: Yeah, I mean I don't think there's any magic bullet. My first advice would be to do it and be patient. I mean there are a lot more opportunities for young journalists to get higher profile jobs in bigger markets, and national outlets.
Twenty years ago, the classic model was to get a job covering city councils in a small town somewhere and work your way up. Maybe if you do good work for a few years you'll get a job at a good size daily, and then if you do really well you'll get a job at a bigger daily.
Right now the Internet has been a big equalizer - a lot of companies are starting or hiring. The only advice I'd say is not to restrict yourself to the traditional model.
It's important to take advantage of that and be creative and get out a lot and talk to people. Blog, tweet, all that stuff. Just keep your options open, keep your mind open.
