Long time no blog.
Life seems tense these days. It’s a combination of things, I think. Much of my stress comes I believe from the general undertone of worry being felt in this country these days. Just as economic troubles seem to propagate themselves, so does the bad mood that accompanies them. I’m feeling it. Additionally, my chosen field - media - issuffereing a doubly intense period. For the media business, the paradigm is mid-shift. And it’s painful. I’ve been anticipating this shift for several years now just like many, many others. The problem these days, I believe, is that so many of the folks who actually run things in this business didn’t anticipate this inevitability. As a result, things are pretty much chaotic. Of course, the debate on why the media business (especially print media) is suffering so much is well documented and ample, so I won’t dive too much into detail. As it stands now, I am certainly feeling the pressure.
I wholeheartedly believe that this business - the business of storytelling, truth-searching, accountability - will survive and flourish once again. It will be different in form, but essentially, the purpose will be the same. The need for journalists, be them writers, photographers, radio anchors, has not diminished at all. In fact, we need them more than ever in this country. And I think that we’re beginning to see the resurgance in the demand for our leaders to be held accountable, as well as the demand for the telling of stories. It’s apparent to me in the way that President Obama has been thoroughly criticized (though not necessarily maliciously) even at a time when many people believe beyond doubt that he is perfect for this country at this time. Perhaps it’s a result of years of inaccountability and social complacency, but whatever the impetus, it’s undeniable that there are people out there who want to keep a close watch on what’s happening. This is a good thing. Though empty criticism and sensational outbursts of thoughtless malice (see: Fox News) is totally unneeded, real, true, pure journalism is absolutely needed.
At this point, there is no shortage of folks who want this pure journalism. The problem is that the new pool of concerned citizens aren’t particularly schooled in the art of non-biased investigation (see: Huffington Post, Daily Kos, CrooksAndLiars, etc.). I do believe these types of media have a place, but they should not take the place once held by newspapers. Admittedly, I subscribe to some of these blogs and read them quite regularly. Though unfortunately as the demise of newpapers continues to progress, I am more and more discouraged by the fact that some of these outlets, particularly Huffington, claim to fill newspaper’s slots. It is utterly impossible for a company like Huffington Post to produce pure journalism while continuing to embrace a voice of purely non-journalistic timbre. In a case like this, every “journalistic” piece is tainted by the residue of bias and agenda, thus stripping it of its legitimacy. Subsequently, Huffington Post, et al. and Fox News really are hardly different in journalsitic legitimacy, they simply appeal to different demographics. This is why we need what we used to have with newspapers.
Like I said, the debate on how to revive this function is copious. Nobody really knows exactly how to proceed. But I am confindent that one day in the not too distant future, we’ll see it again, revived, more mature, and as vital as ever. The simple fact that this conversation is now very audible is encouraging to me.
So, me….
In the meantime, I’m struggling just like anyone else with how to make it through the shift. I’ve seen a substantial decrease in work and compensation. Finances are as tight as ever. And like everyone else, I’m not only struggling with how to keep my wallet stocked, I’m also struggling with how to maintain positivity in my attitude, my mood, and my spirit. And it’s not terribly easy. I am susceptible to despondency. The energy I require to keep myself up is great. That said, it is absolutely worth the work. I’ve returned recently to a few truths, a few constants, a few eternal verities.
Recently I learned that a friend of mine who also works in the media business (television) had lost her job as a result of company-wide layoffs. Though I’ve gotten used to hearing about broad layoffs like these in this industry, I was frankly surprised to hear that someone like her - young, passionate, dedicated, and immensely talented - had been laid off. I sent her a message in hopes of offering some sympathy and encouragement. In the course of writing my message, I stumbled across something that I realized I should personally be fighting each day to implement:
“I believe that now is a great time to take stock of our blessings, invest heavily in our friends, and get a return on something beautiful like a summer evening or a springtime sunrise.”
These sorts of things happen when I write. Even in the form of a brief facebook message, writing for me isn’t so much about creating as it is about finding. (More about that here.) So when I found this little nugget, it marked somewhat of a revelation for me. I’ve consequently reconnected with a part of myself I’d more or less abandoned in the past few months. Namely, I’ve done things like hike, enjoy the sunset, listen to the wind, sit on the edge of the river alone and write. I’ve turned on some music that I’d let lie dormant for a while. Acoustic stuff, soulful stuff, the kind of music that is born of those organic, eternal verities. Right now, I’m listening to “Driftless” by one of my favorites, Greg Brown. The ethos of this rediscovered philosophy is perhaps best encapsulated in this haiku I wrote while meandering around the river yesterday:
Touch things. Walk on things.
Experience the sunset.
It doesn’t last long.
So, for what it’s worth, that’s that. I actually intended to write something today about what projects I’ve been working on, what work I’ve done recently and such. I’ll do that soon. For now, though, I guess that it’s appropriate that my writing is about this deeper, more prevalent project - that of figuring out how to live. I’ll finish with an excerpt from another poem.
Life
its decay, its perpetual forgetfulness,
its breath, so pure, so fleeting
moves timelessly
for time is only ours
and meaningless to god.
