There are many perks to this business. Every day is different. You get to meet new people who tell you stories you couldn’t have even dreamt up. Once in awhile, people tell you they recognize you and/or they tell you that you’re doing a wonderful job (this actually doesn’t happen as often as you’d think).
However, one of the downsides… is the frequency of these words:
Good-bye!
Good luck!
In life, we all have our shares of farewells. For some reason, professional good-byes seem to cut more deeply in the news biz than in other ones.
Reasons why they happen so frequently:
– Contracts end every few years
– Poor ratings mean less revenue, which could mean cut positions
– It’s a grueling line of work, and people leave the field
– And IF you believe the saying, TV news is a dying business
Now factors as to why these departures are felt so strongly:
– The stress often creates stronger bonds
– New gigs usually are far away. At least 2 hours, because it’s in a different DMA from you
– The unusual work hours mean you are the only people who have the most random days off
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I write this post because in just the past month, a few dear friends have moved on to wonderful new jobs, but those jobs have taken them further away from me.
Terrence Lee is now the morning MMJ in Cleveland, Ohio, after being the primetime anchor for WMDT in Salisbury, Md. for years.
Elaina Athans hit the ground running as a new reporter in Raleigh, N.C. after spearheading the Hudson Valley newsroom for YNN.
Casey McNulty just landed an incredible role as a producer in Boston. The offer came just over two weeks ago, and she leaves tomorrow.
While I have so much joy for these friends/former colleagues, it is hard to know that our friendships will have to remain long-distance. At the same time, I can’t bemoan their success and their future endeavors.
Guess that means I’ll have to make my way to the Buckeye State or plan a night out at the Raleigh Times. I’ve already scoped out some places in Boston, Casey!
Congratulations! I am so proud of you all.