Editorial: Web works -- I've got a job

Roughly six months ago, I set out to establish some kind of presence on the Web in order to attract prospective employers, and eventually get a job. I landed on Google's Blogger on the advice of some friends, and several postings later, guess what?

It has worked.

I'm thrilled to write that I've been hired as a journalist/photographer by the newest publication to enter the Greater Toronto Area's media milieu, the GTA Business News.

The GTA Business News is a recent start-up news service that will cater to the thousands of small businesses and individual entrepreneurs across the Greater Toronto Area that are the nuts and bolts of Ontario's economy.

The organization plans on publishing a print version bi-weekly beginning April 20, as well as develop a dyanamic online presence that will be updated regularly.

I'm cognizant of the fact that I'm straying a bit from the mandate of JS 2007 with this post, I'm not in the habit putting up the type of personal fare better reserved for a journal or something. However, it's a justifiable lapse to anyone who may have taken a moment to read the earliest postings on the site (found here and here) .

When I started this in October of last year, my explicit goal was to develop an online resource that editors (or any person looking to hire, for that matter) could access easily in the hopes of getting me a job. Twenty-five weeks later, the blog has delivered admirably.

But more than this, my experience serves as a guidepost to anyone entering the media field(s)--the print era for news media is ending; any organization beyond the most marginal of community newspapers has begun the transition from print across the digital divide that will one day (sooner rather than later) see the complete disappearance of print news in any significant way.

It's not particularly alarming or surprising to many, I know, but I'm a little disquieted that (a) there isn't more emphasis on being prepared for this transition at the j-school level, and (b) more young journalists (at least where I am) aren't developing a great deal of Web-familiarity (as producers, not consumers -- i.e. maintaining web logs, or are familiar with the standard caveats of Web2.0) .

At any rate, the link for GTA's own website will be up soon--once the site is functioning; you can be sure to find it here.

-JS

Nothing endures but change.

- Herclitus