Just after Christmas I received a package in the mail from the Society of Professional Journalists. I opened it up and found this:
A 20-year member pin.
I honestly wasn’t sure whether to be proud or dismayed. I joined SPJ as a sophomore at Ohio University, so I’ve essentially been a SPJ member for half my life. The letter accompanying the pin reminded me of what was happening way back in 1995 when I joined: The New York Times and Washington Post published the Unibomber’s 35,000-word manifesto, Ebay launched and the DVD came into existence.
“Geez, I’m old,” I thought.
The pin arrived in the mail the day after I’d been to the see the movie “Spotlight,” the story of a team of Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the massive child sexual abuse cover up in the Catholic Church. The movie was excellent and a reminder about why journalists do what they do. It’s certainly not for the paycheck or the 40-hour workweeks. It’s for the chance to make a difference.
I thought back to my 19-year-old self taking the SPJ oath, thrilled to be joining an organization dedicated to lofty pursuits like First Amendment rights, ethical journalism and freedom of information. I couldn’t wait to begin my career as a newspaper reporter, telling stories and righting wrongs.
After I graduated, I spent the next decade conducting interviews, recounting stories and maybe even righting a few wrongs along the way. I remained an active SPJ member, even serving six years as a regional director on the national board. During that same decade, the newspaper business went through an incredible shift as the Internet grew and competition for readers and advertisers became more challenging. The economic crash of 2008 rocked my world – along with many of my colleagues and SPJ friends around the country.
Suddenly, I was a laid-off reporter – a far cry from the life that 19-year-old idealistic young woman had envisioned for herself.
Life goes on, right? It does. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s hard to have your identity snatched away. It’s sad to see the career you’d planned for yourself vanish in mere minutes. Like countless other journalists during that time, I forged out a new path for myself.
In November 2011, when I launched H.A.F. Creative, it was largely so I could do more freelance writing. Even though I use my writing skills in a variety of ways that I truly enjoy (marketing, public relations, copywriting, blogging), I desperately need to stay connected to journalism. Fortunately, I’ve been able to, I hope, make a difference by sharing the stories of leaders, parents, businesses and organizations in our local community. Even though I no longer work in a newsroom on a daily basis, I am just as passionate about a free press and its watchdog role in our society.
So, here’s to you, SPJ, for reminding me of a time when Ebay and DVDs were new and so was my calling to something so much greater.