Journalism, marketing, and social media are changing the way we consume information. For former journalists navigating life after news—you’ve probably felt the impact of this media transformation on your career, your creativity, and maybe even your identity. Maybe you’ve been impacted by layoffs or burnout. Maybe you’re trying to leave the industry or make a change in your professional life.
That’s where I found myself four years ago, when I broke my contract in TV news and quit the journalism industry. Having graduated with my broadcast journalism degree just one year earlier, I started to think about what my new career in tech sales would look like…and I’d be lying if I said I was particularly excited about it.
The pros of leaving news completely outweighed the cons. Double the salary, normal work hours, flexible vacation time, holidays off, a work from home job in the spring of 2021 – it was a dream. But leaving behind the newsroom and the career I’d been dreaming of for over a decade broke my heart. I felt like a failure, like I was taking the easy way out. I thought I didn’t have what it takes to be a real journalist.
Amy Koczera: Strategic Writer & Storyteller 