By the way...

I'm gonna be MIA for a few days. I'm headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains for some R&R. I'll be back on Sunday with pretty pictures and hopefully enough energy to keep me going until Thanksgiving break.

So, Happy Halloween!

Countdown!!!

Election Day is upon us! Only 4 days, 13 hours, 43 minutes, and 30 seconds to go.

In preparation for this tumultuous event, we've got:
Candidate finger puppets
Candidate Cabbage Patch dolls
Political pumpkin stencils
Palin as president...

I love the Internet.

I ♥ Bluffton

And while we're on the topic of financial difficulties, I was troubled to see that Bluffton Today will no longer be free starting December 1 of this year. I know Morris (Communications) wanted to keep it running as a free circulation and a model for the new age of newspapers, but unfortunately, this is just not the ideal economy to experiment with right now. Good luck, guys.

Yes, I'm sure

I think I worry people a lot when I tell them what I want to do with my life.

The usual responses:
"Are you sure?"
"Newspapers are dying, Kelly Ann. What do you think you're doing?"
"Do you have a backup plan?"
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket..."
"There won't be a newspaper in 10 years. Where will you be?"

My response:
Chill.

The economy is on its way to hitting rock bottom. People save an average 0 percent of their incomes. (Seriously. In 1998, Americans saved -0.2 percent. Really, America?) The housing market has flopped. Unemployment is up. And you're really worried about newspapers? I think we've got bigger fish to fry.

Let me reassure the weak of heart. Newspapers are in a transition period. Up until a few years ago, newspapers were making a 23 to 25 percent profit margin. Things were good. We built big news buildings, gave away lots of vacations and put out niche publications like there was no tomorrow.

Unfortunately, tomorrow is here. Instead of our usual inflated margins, we're making about a 15 percent profit. Keep in mind that an average business enjoys about a 3 to 5 percent profit margin. So we're still rakin' in the dough; it's just not as much as we're used to. It all boils down to making adjustments. Right now, we're going to whine and scratch our heads because Mommy's not giving us the lollipop we want. Once we figure out why she's not giving it to us and what we can learn from it and then learn to live with it, we can come out of this with renewed passion for the industry and ideas to take the "newspaper" to new heights.

Give newspapers five, maybe 10 years. We'll come out of it. People will always need information. Journalists will always provide that information.

Thrill-ride of 2008

I get to cover election night!

I just found out yesterday. I am so EXCITED. I covered the primaries two years ago for the newspaper I was working for and it was amazing. The thrill that comes from being the first to watch the numbers come in. Being able to watch the reactions of the candidates as their fates are determined by us (citizens) right before their eyes. Watching them interact with each other and their families after the results are determined. I love being a provider of information. It's so fulfilling.

And I get to do it again! November 4th is going to be crazy.

Anxious to be 100% journalist

I'm aghast that I haven't posted in a week. I feel like the antithesis of a journalist, who's supposed to be a provider of information. I haven't been providing any information. Of course, I'm technically only a journalist about 25 percent of my time. The other 75 is split among classes, two choirs, National Issues Forums, being the coordinator of the Catholic Student Association, and working in a lab for the computer science department. When I put it on (virtual) paper, it's kind of overwhelming.

But enough of my excuses. Let's get down to business.

First of all, this lady is amazing.

Secondly, I got a little taste of reality last week. The newspaper company that I worked for this summer and that I basically pledged my allegiance to is having major financial issues. It's no question that they'll pull out of it. They can definitely weather this economic storm; they just made a few mistakes that are hurting them now. No, I'm confident in the company. The question is, when will they pull through? Will they be able to financially support me when I enter the job market in May? Let's just say I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.

So I've gotten some resume advice and as soon as I have a free minute, I'll sit down and document all of the amazing opportunities I've been given in this field. I'm not going to exhaust any of my contacts. I'm going to send out resumes and emails and phone calls until the cows come home. I don't care where I end up - Alaska, New Jersey, Arkansas, Florida, Texas (actually, the cows may actually come home there). I'm not picky at this point. I just want to find a place to plant my journalism roots - all of my roots, not 25 percent of them - and get a firm start on the management track that I've chosen for myself.

Passion

Since my internship this summer, I've been talking about how passion is key. The profession you're passionate about is the one you want. The people who are passionate are the ones you want. The life that's passionate is the one you want.

DigiDave has the right idea.