From Anthony Maisel & www.dailyireports.com: I worked with Barbara great detail, passion and her new venture is proof of her dedication.
With layoffs, downsizing and cutbacks being a growing trend in newsrooms worldwide, it made me begin to ponder what else could I do to make a living. After nearly 18 years at a top ten station and for about 12 of those years as Assignment Manager, I knew it would be a difficult decision to leave the news business. I loved the people I worked with and loved the hunt for a good story. Nothing is better than a good friend giving you a good story.
My decision to leave the news business was exactly that, my decision. I offered my salary and left the newsroom. No regrets, no ill will just many fond memories.
I grew up in a Newsroom. I learned from veterans that they themselves were struggling to stay in the business back then. A cagey veteran may have a treasure chest full of contacts and backline numbers, but they are a dying breed in the industry.
So I learned the trade of running an Assignment desk. Plain and simple if you don’t know the position you will never know what I did for a living for all those years. How do you move on in your career with this type of experience and skill?
My initial thought was to take the summer to explore my options and soak up the sun. I thought of becoming a Journalism Professor.
Then the phone started ringing. An offer here and there but I really wanted to take my time and enjoy not being tied to a phone, working a Holiday or taking a lunch.
Then a contact called me and wanted some advice on a case his was working. He wanted to know how to get media coverage. Then a longtime friend and contact called and wanted me to do a media relations course for his public information officers. Within the next couple of days, Magana Media was born.
I am doing what I know how to do. I find the news worthiness of a story and I find the appropriate forum for it. Sounds simple yet there is a need. In addition, I instruct law enforcement, public safety and VIP media relations course. After years of working with different agencies in a variety of situations this was a very natural step to teach these courses. Building good relationships between agencies and the media is something that I did daily while in news and now as service from Magana Media.
It took a leap of faith to leave the news industry, but it took the experience to form Magana Media. Placing clients in different markets, keeping up with the social media trends and maintaining the relationships with the different media outlets are my new everyday challenges.
There are no more scanners, no more short staff issues and no more driving into work during a flood, those were the days. The news will go on, for me I too will go on.
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