While I fully supported the Emerald’s strike last week and admire its bold defense of journalistic ideals, I have limited sympathy for the Emerald’s financial situation. In the article that announced and explained the strike (“EMERALD NEWS STAFF STRIKES,” ODE, March 4), the staff wrote that “the Emerald may have to close its doors within the next few years” if it cannot find a way to turn a profit and that, for the position of publisher, it “need(s) someone who has a tangible plan to start making money.”
I’m having a really hard time reconciling the Emerald’s pressing need to increase profits with its staffing practices. Here’s why.
In my two years on the freelance list, I’ve written one story. It was a great learning experience, but I haven’t checked my e-mail with enough frequency to claim any more assignments than that. Last year, when I attempted to apply for a copy editing position, I was grilled by a panel of Emerald staffers who made me feel palpably unwelcome, and when I left the interview, was told I would be informed of the staff’s decision the following week. I never heard from them again.
The Oregon School of Journalism and Communication is the home of some 1,000 undergrads who hope to find success in the field of journalism after graduation. The last I heard, the Emerald provides about 100 staff positions, leaving everyone else to fight for freelance stories. Perhaps this is meant to reflect the competitiveness of the industry – especially these days – but this is our college newspaper. If we aren’t welcome here, where can we expect to learn the skills we’re going to need after graduation? J361 alone?
When I came to this university, I assumed that the Daily Emerald served two functions: to keep the student body informed of school affairs and to provide journalism majors with invaluable experience at a first-rate college publication.
As it turns out, the latter function is reserved for a fortunate few. I don’t know what the salary is for an Emerald news reporter, but if the paper’s financial situation is as dire as it says, I think the best solution would be to cut these salaries completely.
I see no reason why University news should be exclusively written by a salaried staff of six. For almost every student in the SOJC (with the possible exception of the six just mentioned), our first jobs will be unpaid internships, and paid work will be extremely hard to come by after that. The current reporters are doing a fine job, but if they don’t find portfolio-worthy clips to be adequate payment for the invaluable experience they’re gaining as a member of the staff, I encourage them to consider another line of work.
And if the Emerald can’t do away with its salaries, it has no excuse to close its doors.
Molly Metzig
UO Journalism Undergraduate
[email protected]
Emerald reserved for select few; pay cuts may solve its financial woes
Daily Emerald
March 8, 2009
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