Smells like college newspaper spirit
No, this isn't a post about quitting studying, which went viral. I'll discuss that topic later, but if you subscribed because of that post... grab a beer🍺! After all, if blogs are our homes on the web, I can't let you be my guest without offering at least a fine Belgian beer.
The place I enjoyed working the most was somewhere that didn't pay me for my work. It might sound crazy, but it's true. My university had an online college newspaper with quite a rebellious spirit. No teachers or university staff were allowed to interfere, which meant it was entirely run by students.
It had an anarchist vibe to it, a DIY spirit of a newspaper that aimed to do things differently. A college online newspaper that was willing to risk it all to report what we believed was the real news.
My college years were divided between studying and dedicating my time to that newspaper, and oh, so much time planning work. We were going to change the world, one character at a time. I didn't know then that I might not have changed the world, but the hours spent having beer and planning for the next big project created strong bonds.
I'm reminded of all this because today, sitting in a room at one of the country's biggest newspapers, two colleagues from that time came together to discuss a project.
I know I've been terribly pessimistic about my job and journalism in general. But today, these two old friends took the time to sit down and discuss. Unfortunately, there was no beer. But it felt like the college newspaper spirit was alive and well.
We might not have changed the world. But today, I felt like the world, the economy, the pundits managing news organizations, and their ridiculously expensive consultancy firms that state the obvious, won't win without a fight.
Because as long as this wild desire to do something good for my readers burns within me, I will keep fighting for the journalism I believe my readers deserve. Just like in those college newspaper days (well, with a bit more experience 🙃).