OPINION: I don’t need the journalism industry, but it sure as hell needs me

Look, I haven’t been on LinkedIn for a while. Of course, I was promoting my sports betting consultant services the other day. Yet, while away from the website, I’ve still been active on other social media platforms. On those platforms, I’ve noticed how “shocked” people have been acting about the big happenings in the #journalismindustry, like Lisa LaFlamme getting fired by Bell Media.

I honestly don’t know why so many people are shocked. This has happened for years, and plenty of good people have faced the same fate. Gatekeepers in this industry will build people up to tear them down. They’ll keep people from getting where they deserve to be and strip people of jobs to show everyone who’s boss.

And I know we live in a world of fairytales and make-believe. We don’t see the truth even when it’s right before us. When I first started as a journalist, I thought all these companies were good. I thought, “Hey, they’ll give me a shot.” Everything will be fine. I’ll get treated well.

Oh, how wrong was I? Other than Last Word On Sports, The Hockey News, Grandstand Central, Smarter Goalie, and Lottery Geeks, I’ve had a pretty rough time. The number of job interviews I did when I was looking for a 2020 summertime internship, where the interviewer started off by asking about my disability, was astounding. I thought I’d be treated just like everyone else. I thought most places would be inclusive. Nope. “That’s just the business, pal. Get used to it.”

“That’s just the business, pal.” Oh, give me a break.

That’s just not right. None of it is. It still happens, though. And yes, people might get outraged, but they eventually move on. They learn to accept this as usual, and nothing ever changes. The cycle of life in the industry keeps on going. I haven’t heard too much about Lisa LaFlamme lately.

Yes, I hear y’all saying, “Stop being so negative, Christian. You’re just being selfish and bitter. That’ll get you nowhere. Be a good sport, kiss some ass. Your opportunity will come.”

You know what, I’m bitter. You’re goddamn right. I’m bitter when I see someone who couldn’t lace my boots getting a job they had no business getting. You’re goddamn right; I’m bitter when I hear someone saying to people like me, “Things will get better,” when they damn well know they won’t, and they’re not going to do a fucking thing about it.

And yes, I’m not afraid to look people in the eyes and say I’m selfish. I’ve learned that a person like me has to be ruthless in this industry. No one will ever care about you as much as you will care about yourself. If a person gets lucky, they might have a few people who look out for them, but most don’t have that luxury. If you’re a minority in this business, the cold, hard truth is you will have to work three times as hard as the person sitting next to you. The cold, hard truth is you might spend decades grinding but never get rewarded. Not even a footnote in the pages of history.

I’m inclined to wager that most people who will like this post think, “I really agree with this guy. He makes a lot of sense.” I will tell you something you might not want to hear: Those people I just described are just as much a part of the problem as the gatekeepers in the industry who can make life miserable for people like myself. You think your “thoughts and prayers” will bring on change. But you damn well know change requires action. Action requires you to step out of your comfort zone. It requires you to take chances and put your reputation on the line for a more significant cause.

Let’s face it, I know that you know most people won’t do that. They’ll go back into la la land. They’ll continue to pay no heed to what’s going on. And quite frankly, that’s fine. Do what you want. Idleness and dissipation breed apathy. But, please, for the love of all things good, when your fate catches up with you, and your boss sends your ass packing, don’t come looking for my pity because you’ll get absolutely none.

If that makes you mad. If that makes you want to remove me from your network. Remove me. Just know this: This industry needs people like me. But we don’t need the industry. Journalism is at its best when there is no bias, and everyone from all walks of life is represented in the newsroom.

Right now, the industry lacks diversity, and it’s crumbling because of it. I’ll be the first to say that even though the industry might carry on in some capacity, no matter what, for journalism to thrive, people must start caring. Otherwise, a lot of the journalists on here are going to be working at McDonald’s to make ends meet in the future. That’s not a prediction; that’s a spoiler.

And quite frankly, people like me don’t give a fuck about the industry anymore. We’ve made something of ourselves. We’ve hustled, we’ve innovated. We’ve believed in ourselves when no one else in this industry did. We’ve done everything those punk-ass recruiters never thought we’d do. We’ve built a new standard of success. And no one, I mean no one, can take that away from us.

So if you marks really want to spark change, save your “attaboy” comments and do something formidable. Take action! Otherwise, get out of here with your useless “things will get better” takes.

Things only got better because I made them better. I took that action, and now I’m a made man. This industry didn’t do shit for me.