Aspiring journalists gain insight from panel

Nearly 100 members of the UW community gathered Thursday afternoon to hear a panel of six journalists from various media discuss their chosen profession. The event, presented by the Departments of Communication and English, was held as part of the UW's Career Week, which continues through today.

The panel members ran the journalistic gamut, from magazines to TV, dailies to monthlies, and columnist to editor. Their histories in journalism, and in life, varied as greatly as their job titles.

Dan Savage, syndicated sex columnist and editor of The Stranger, was arguably the most well known member of the panel. His column appears in more than 70 newspapers worldwide, and his latest book, Skipping Towards Gomorrah, was released October 2002.

Savage injected his irreverent humor frequently during the discussion, adding quips to others' statements and offering his trademark brutally honest advice when it was his turn to speak.

"A bit of advice I have if you want to write for a living: learn how to make coffee, because you'll be doing a lot of that," he joked.

Savage and several other panelists stressed that the most important quality a journalist can have, besides an ability to write well, is tenacity.

"It comes down to temperament, not brains. You don't need a lot of brains to be a journalist," said Rick Shenkman, a longtime broadcast journalist and author.

Despite the self-effacing humor of many of the panelists, all of them stressed the difficulty of finding a job in journalism, as well as the somewhat menial working conditions and low pay young journalists almost always endure.

Savage offered an anecdote:

"Often, frequently, occasionally, I'll be talking to someone who's 20, and they'll say 'Well, I really want to graduate and become a journalist, but I have to make, like, $40,000 a year.'"

The crowd laughed at the unrealistic prospect. Savage continued.

"And I never know what to say to that person, except 'Uh, you're high.'"

Despite the unsavory realities of the profession, the panel members agreed that they enjoyed their jobs, and all stressed the important role journalists play in modern society.

Offering the perspective of a metropolitan daily reporter, Nancy Bartley of the Seattle Times described her job as both rewarding and important. "I've always felt that it's an honor and a privilege to be a journalist," she said.

Ultimately, Rachel Hart, editor-in-chief of Seattle Magazine, offered a piece of advice that seemed to ring true for the students in attendance, given the current economic situation.

"Don't put so much weight on the first job you have out of school, because you never know where life will take you."