Grim reaper haunts newsrooms

Where do you get your news?

If you're under 35, more than likely, it's from a website, not your daily newspaper subscription. And because of that, newspapers are struggling to survive. Circulation is down; layoffs are rampant and future of the newspaper business is as bleak as President Bush leaving the White House with a favorable approval rating.

While I've known these facts for a couple of years, the following job listing, found on craigslist, was a peek into what could be the future for journalists:

"A dynamic, entrepreneurial for-profit college in Northwest DC is looking for an experienced copy writer and desktop publisher to lead aspects of both internal and external written communications.

The only catch?

While you are writing copy you will also fill the role of security guard, working 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.


But fear not: We will buy your uniform. You won't carry a gun."

At first, I laughed, but then reality set in, and I said to myself "This can't be the future of journalism!" Being able to multi-task is a great quality, but my ideal of multi-tasking is working on more than one story at a time, not manning the security booth while I'm editing copy.

The folks in the glass offices in newsrooms have to be more creative in getting people to read their product. Local newspaper websites must compete with CNN, MSNBC and even sites like E!Online, since celebrities are constantly in the news.

I hope the day doesn't come when the hand-held newspaper is completely replaced by a hand-held electronic device, but if industry leaders don't figure out a way to generate readership that day may be closer than we think.