The employment outlook for the nation’s newspapers is becoming bleaker every day. Well respected icons like the Chicago Tribune & Los Angeles Times owners have filed for bankruptcy, Gannett has undergone massive layoffs, & newspapers continue to lose ground in competing for advertising with television and especially the internet.In discussions with my many media contacts, I advise them to be prepared for the worst & to be proactive while still working. If a reporter, writer or editor does end up getting laid off one of the most important assets they will want to use in finding a new job is their PR contacts. Yes, that’s right; the same people who send you press releases may be able to assist you in finding new work or a freelance gig.
The publicists you deal with on a regular basis may be in the best position to help you, & will want to help you. As for new jobs, I don’t have to tell you journalism jobs are scarce so don’t rule out coming over to the “dark side” by becoming a publicist either… it’s not all that bad! Keep an open mind for some free lance work, or even a career change to marketing, corporate communications or web content. In any job search, networking is probably the most important activity you can do.Since the corporate office won’t always telegraph pending layoff plans, one of the first things I would do is to be prepared for that possibility by gathering all my contact phone numbers, email addresses, & mailing addresses & save them to a disc or memory stick & take it home.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1777477
