HARD TIMES FOR THE MEDIA

This was the title of an article on the website of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (see link below for full story). It hit me right away because I was once a media practitioner and I remember a similar situation in the past.

It is truly frustrating and demeaning knowing your publication is shutting down soon because advertisers are coming in less and less. What’s worst, you couldn’t do anything to save it.

There is no other reason more unspeakable than bankruptcy to kill a media institution. This is what haunts the media industry today in most countries worldwide; and it’s getting more prevalent.

In a not-so-distant past, journalists only have their deadlines, stories and sources to chase around. Now, they also have to worry about their livelihood and at times even their lives as cases of media shutdown to repress freedom of expression are likewise getting more rampant in some countries. Here are related stories on media closure:

Crisis hit Philippine media
US television and radio stations announce closure
BBC shutdown media websites to cut cost
 
In most cases, print media journalists are left to fend for themselves as they are forced to look for alternative livelihood sources. But, there is hope! Though, internet has somewhat adversely affected the print media industry, it likewise opened a huge window of opportunities for writers of all fields.

What they need is to look for writing opportunities online. Today, there are lots of websites that offer free online resources, jobs, and publishing opportunities for writers. The rule of the game at this time is to widen your writing skills beyond the traditional media and explore the online and digital media.