Dark Side No More

I remember being young in my 20s and disregarding the entire profession of marketing and PR work as unnecessary.

Those of us who considered ourselves true journalists considered this the “dark side.” Anyone who moved on from a journalism role, particularly print newspapers, were deemed as going to the dark side.

We were so young then.

Only after I grew up, into my 30s, did I realize that marketing and PR work was necessary. Even in journalism.

You can’t have one without the other. Journalism needs branding, marketing, PR to sell itself. You can’t have one without the other.

But even then, good journalism - even the best, whether it’s hyper-local, national, or global - isn’t guaranteed to succeed or survive.

Only in the most recent years, did it dawn on me that the line between marketing and journalism really doesn’t matter as much as I thought - particularly in the context of existing in this world.

People need the ability to afford to live, pay their bills, pay their taxes, pay mortgage or rent, and have adequate health insurance. 

This became even more clear in my mid-40s, when the likelihood of my role being eliminated became real. When it wasn’t a straight thought that any company would rather have a a younger professional who would work for half the wage, or even AI would make me unnecessary.

That eventually did happen not too long ago. With 25 years of professional experience in journalism, digital media, editorial management, site optimization, and content creation.

And so, the line matters even less now.

Yes, journalism remains critically important. It’s probably more important now than ever before in recent history. Facts, accuracy, and verified truth cannot be more necessary and people willing to call for accountability and transparency, and hold truth the power, is hugely important.

But at the end of the day, I need to survive.

This is the very issue that Poynter delved into recently, talking about how so many journalists are turning away from the industry in this moment where news is hit hard.

The so-called dark side is no longer the dark side, but a means-to-an-end to be able to put my money where my mouth is and continue doing good journalism again.

Remember, Anakin turned to the dark side for a good reason. He wanted to save people that he cared about, and he felt passionate about why he was doing this. He felt the ultimate good cause had lost its way, and betrayed him.

So he became Vader, worked for the emperor for the time, before eventually seeing the light.

There is no emperor in our dark side, but just everyone trying to coexist and make sure their bottom lines not suck. And so, it’s less of a dramatic career shift as long as one can find a company they believe in.

There are so many of us out there, in this limbo between legacy / modern digital media, and this freelance / contract universe where everybody’s competing for the same eyeballs.

And despite the world being glued to our phones for doom-scrolling or influencer videos, journalism isn’t where most find themselves on online these days. 

Automated recruiting systems are scanning resumes and cover letters, and so many don’t even get human eyeballs on them unless somebody knows somebody that matters enough to make a connection.

And sell the dark side? Sure, it works just fine. Writers are writers, editors are editors, and content creators are content creators. 

Maybe there’s an ability for a side journalism gig or passion project. Hopefully so.

And no doubt, we’ll get back to a place where good journalism is recognized again and people and companies put the money into that once again. It’s only a matter of time.

Really, it’s just a question now how long will it take for the pendulum to swing back.

In the meantime, here’s to finding what’s next and tapping into the force in whatever way is needed to survive.