Very much my point. Most of those writers do have journalism or media degrees. That “come from blogs” bit is the job market here. You can have a PhD in journalism at this point. And if you actually want to do journalism, and entered the job market after about 2005, then you’re coming out of blogs and/or PR. Or medical publishing.
When I tried to do this that was all that was available, even at bigger traditional outlets. Friend of mine was hired at ABC News right out of film school. She started at their online/social media office, at a certain point she was the entire operation for multiple since retired web vectors, and for a bit she was basically the “uploads things to YouTube and Hulu” department. She’s doing pretty good now and gets to work on actual news these days.
This typically pays like shit.
I was actively warned off Gawker more than once, as they basically built their house on horribly underpaying trained professionals who couldn’t eat on the freelance gigs and unpaid internships that are the only other starting point.
They have about the same record on staffers going on to be “professionals” in your estimation as all the similar venues. Whether it be Buzzfeed or TMZ or whatever. And right along side them are a lot of people who professionally publish trash.
Friend of mine from highschool has a Masters in Journalism and Bachelors in design. She’s also a wildly talented photgrapher. After a good 7 years of living in her folks house and working as a Wedding Photographer, publishing photos (unpaid) in the local paper. She accepted a job at Buzzfeed. Idea being listicles would pay the bills and she could move to the then new and hiring surprisingly respectable folks News division.
A decade later she still writes listicles.
My cousin in Dublin has a Photography degree, combined Fine Art and Photojournalism, from one of the best programs for that in Ireland. If you saw any coverage of the 2006 Dublin Riots, you saw her photos. Likewise the Pro-Choice protests/marches, Marriage equality marches and votes on the same more recently. She did not get paid for any of that. She has a greeting card company and manages a couple locations of a Café group around Dublin.
Her sister, journalism degree from one of Ireland’s better schools. Makes reality TV for RTE.
This is simply what the field looks like now.
Those outlets aren’t generally going to find it strange these days. Their management is going to demand those reporters ignore the conflict. And will likely publish hand wringing op-eds about how The Verge’s half measure is bad for business.
