During the lecture, Andrew McGill discussed journalistic career tracks and its career model. Modeling a staircase, McGill explained how traditionally, aspiring journalists often started their careers at a daily paper, advancing to a larger daily paper, then to a metro paper, and if they are lucky, a national paper. In the past, the high number of small and mid-level newspapers made this staircase career model possible. Likewise, the traditional attitude regarding careers was that new journalists had to “pay their dues.” However, McGill rejected this mentality, imploring a big equity problem regarding this. He asks, what has changed? Today, he explains it is possible for people to skip steps on the staircase model of journalism based on opportunities such as networking connections and internships. Further, he addresses the reality of mid-tier journalism dying. Currently, the metro jobs primarily exist in major cities such as New York City, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
Although this staircase model is rapidly deteriorating and the metro jobs are slowly declining and prevailing solely on the country’s coasts, he assures that the prevalence of digital media is creating new jobs. Therefore, young people looking to succeed in the industry are being presented with new opportunities even if it isn’t reporting. McGill explains that with the advancing digital world of media, there are a myriad of non-reporter jobs that are even more vital to journalism. Thus, he suggests that young people should apply to a major markets right after school because it isn’t necessary to start at the bottom. Yet, regardless, he ultimately reminds that your job isn’t your identity and should not define who you are.