Job Security

When I opened the email, I couldn't believe what I read. My internship stomping grounds, WUSA9, was turning into an all one-man crew station. This broke my heart.

Not only did I feel terrible for all those wonderful people I worked with this summer because many of them will be transferred or out of work soon, but it scared me a little. Is this what the economy has brought our business to? People losing their jobs because they are amazing photographers who don't want to, or don't know how to be on camera? Reporters losing their jobs because they were taught in college to hone their craft of writing, writing, writing because someone else would do all the shooting, shooting, shooting.

Don't get me wrong, I know this is good news for those of us still in college who DO know how to do it all. We're on the cutting edge of new media, way to go us!

But here's the scary part. Those middle-aged co-workers of mine were on the cutting edge of "new media" back in the 70's and 80's when they left school too. Some younger generation is going to come along with new tricks in 20 years and take OUR jobs too!

And it's not that employees weren't educating themselves on newer media forms. While I was at WUSA9 this summer, there were many days where my producers had to leave me alone in the newsroom so they could go to "Web training" or other such events. They are just all behind the curve that us younger reporters have set with our knowledge of computers and electronics practically starting at birth now.

I can only hope that the economy gets better really soon so people can have their jobs back and we can all breathe a little easier about there not being many jobs open. But I don't think I'll be breathing easy 2 decades from now when some intern comes in and takes my job.