Dept. of hangin' with the boys

[kaffy_r]

Old Reporters Never Die. They Always Smell That Way.

     There's something tremendously satisfying about spending a night with old reporting buddies, shooting the shit and arguing about movies. My workplace has changed so much that getting time to do this is at a premium. Ah, we have jut decided that we can't agree on any movie whatsoever; oh lord, this means we'll have to talk ... Conversation - threat, or menace?

Comments

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

Threat.

[doclnghair.livejournal.com]

Isn't that what joints like O'Roarke's in Old Town were for? I used to go there and find all sorts of writers hanging out. Not to mention the odd bagpiper or two.

[kaffy_r]

Heh.

[kaffy_r]

We old reportorial phartz like to hang out in each other's homes, because it's cheaper. We are reporters in the 21st century, after all, and no longer make the unbelievably big bucks we once did.

You there in the back, stop laughing.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Are you a journalist?

[doclnghair.livejournal.com]

If you think you once make big bucks by working as one of the ink stained legions, you must have already gone out drinking.

[kaffy_r]

Wait, what? I'm a poorly-paid, overworked minion of the media barons, held in disrepute by both those I report on, those I report to, and those I report for? Why was I not told of this sooner?

[kaffy_r]

Yup. Although I used to tell people, "I'm a reporter, not a journalist. Alexander Pope was a journalist."

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

That's really cool! I'm a creative writing major and I write for the school paper. I'm thinking about science writing. What have you written for?

[kaffy_r]

When I started, back when dinosaurs ruled the earth, I worked for a couple of small dailies in eastern Canada. I moved to the US and after a few short jobs out of the business, I got a position with a chain of suburban weekly community newspapers. That was in 1983; I've been with that company since then, surviving multiple ownership changes, several rounds of layoffs and numerous beat changes. All my beats have focused, for the most part, on individual communities, although I have done, and do, a lot of education writing. Those stories often overlapped communities, simply because school districts in Illinois often overlap communities.

I write hard news, cop shop, features of all kind, education, municipal, zoning and business related - everything that has to do with the daily life of a community. It's Fourth Estate Grassroots Democracy stuff at its most basic. I love it.

I don't, however, make money at it.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Cool! Do you think we could chat about newswriting some time?

[kaffy_r]

Of course; it would be my pleasure.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Yay! I shall start getting my questions in order, then. I think I remember you prefer gmail chat?

[kaffy_r]

Yes, that's what I usually use.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. I found your gmail on your user page, so I'll send you an email so you have mine. And then someday when we're both online, I'll drop you a line!

Thanks so much!

[kaffy_r]

Sounds good to me!

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Could you send me like a blank email back so you show up in my chat list?

[kaffy_r]

Done!

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

ty!