Most years around this time, there’s a Twitter thread or story offering advice to young journalists. After a few years with that group through the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship, it’s clear to me that maybe the rest of us should advise less and listen more.
(Before you email to tell me that they’re lazy, I’d point out that expecting to be paid for the hours that they work and not working unpaid overtime seems pretty reasonable. Before you email to tell me that they lack the skills you had when you came into the newsroom, I’d point out that your good-old-days newsroom was probably a physical space, there wasn’t a pandemic and technological shifts happened every few years, not every few days. They’re quick learners when they have the right teachers. And before you email to tell me that they’re biased, or not objective, or have too much of a point of view, I’d point out that journalism has always been that, and the point of view has mostly been that of white men.)
Last week, about 60 fellows, a handful of advisers, co-director Benét J. Wilson and I gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the closing summit of our fellowship. This was also the program’s final session. Stand Together, our funder, is putting its money elsewhere. (I’m determined to find a new way to continue preparing early-career journalists for what waits for them in this industry, so if you have ideas, I’d love to hear from you.)
Instead of offering advice to our newer colleagues, how about we listen to them a little more?
If we’re lucky, they’re here to stay.
Roselyn Romero, The Oaklandside: “Stop saying local news is dead! There are plenty of efforts to keep local journalism not only alive but thriving and sustainable.”
Nika Bartoo-Smith, Underscore/ICT: “Remember that sometimes ‘rejection is a redirection.’ You can’t know the path that life will take you on, but I know from experience that sometimes not getting that job I really wanted has led to better things. Trust in yourself and your worth — and build a community to lean on to help remind you of it.”
Sheridan Hendrix, Columbus Dispatch: “Hear out your younger colleagues and don’t brush off their ideas. When I was running The Dispatch’s TikTok account, I had to get buy-in from my veteran colleagues. Some were adamantly against being involved, but those who heard me out and let me explain my vision saw more engagement with their work and actually had a fun time doing it. (And I didn’t make anyone dance if they didn’t want to!)”
Parker Yamasaki, The Colorado Sun: “Similarly, don’t equate youth with social media savvy. Younger journalists are probably more intuitively comfortable on social media, but it doesn’t mean they’re necessarily excited or skilled enough to produce for it. Generating a sound social media presence in a newsroom requires curiosity and adaptability from the newsroom, including editors, the same way launching a newsletter or developing a special series would. If that task does get handed off to a younger journalist, still ask questions and be involved. Sheridan Hendrix probably has good reason for making you dance.”
Eli Hartman, Texas Tribune: “Value every department and beat like your own. The earlier we all begin working together, the more change we can bring about. Just because a photo or data visuals department may be made up of younger journalists doesn’t mean we don’t know how to do our job or add depth to a colleague’s project. So many of the visual departments want to make the most out of each story we get to work on, and when we are involved from the beginning, we know how to put the extra time to work. People’s voices deserve to be seen, too.”
Taylor Six, Lexington Herald-Leader: “Leave the narrative behind of: You have to be initiated into journalism through the ideals of working through the night, working constantly, chasing every story that comes to your desk. Not every story has to be some groundbreaking deep dive — it just needs something that provokes readers to want to know more and follow up.”
Mary Helene Hall, AL.com: “The news media landscape is changing whether we like it or not. Embrace change, and be open to hearing ideas from staff on how to keep up with that change.”
Nina Joss, Colorado Community Media: “Be open-minded! Our job often involves opening our minds to many sides of a story. Remember that attitude in conversations with younger colleagues as well. We all have different experiences that inform our work, and we can all learn a lot from each other!”
Melissa Montalvo, Fresno Bee: “Share your knowledge and get to know your younger colleagues. We value and respect your work and want to learn from you.”
A version of this story originally ran in Local Edition, our newsletter for and about local news.
The headline, slant, and tone borders on ageism. Why not say ‘veteran’ or ‘more experienced’? The use of the old/young binary reinforces division vs. unity in the face of forces that threaten the entire field.