It's Hard Out There To Be a Reporter

The good 'ole days of being a reporter are fading fast as the news "world" is feeling the hard crunch of the recession. Newspapers are retiring, reporters are getting laid off and the landscape of news as we know it will never be the same... even right here in Houston. While we have weathered the recession pretty well it's slowly catching up with us.


Just check this out from the Houston Chronicle today. "Belo, which owns KHOU, said Wednesday it will cut 150 jobs, reduce salaries for some employees by 5% and will suspend 401(k) matching contributions in an effort to help reduce cash operating expenses by about 10%."

Ouch.

So, what does this mean for the legal professional? For one, getting your story in the news will not be as easy as it used to be. If you really have a newsworthy story, you can't wait for the reporter to find you, you gotta find the reporter. Why? Because there are so few out there. And, if you really have a good story, you are going to have to "sell" it.

So my word of advice to all lawyers out there is to get used to this new media landscape because it's going to be permanent. And things will probably get worse before they get better. You now are not only an advocate for your client, but now you are one for yourself. What do you think?