Here’s How I Survived My First Week As An Unemployed Reporter

Posted on by Andrea V. Watson

I first posted about how I felt when I was laid off.  (Check it out here.) The owner of my company decided to abruptly pull the plug. After a full day of reporting, I checked my email like I habitually do every few minutes, and learned that my job was no more. Any story that I was working on wasn’t going to get published by DNAinfo because it was gone. The website took me straight to a message from the owner expressing himself and saying goodbye. All three years of my work had literally disappeared (the site is temporarily back up). There wouldn’t be a phase out period. It was over.

As I expressed in my first post, I was devastated. I love reporting and I worked at a really cool place that let me cover neighborhood stories. I cried, a lot, but then I felt myself get stronger. So here I am a week later. How have you been? I get that a lot. Well, I’ve been great. Like, seriously. I’m alright.

Some of you may have noticed that I’m still writing. Yes, I am. I haven’t taken a break yet. I lost my job a week ago yet I’m still working all day. Nothing has changed except that my editor isn’t asking me for updates throughout the day. I’ll be honest, when I showed up to a press conference on Tuesday, I felt a little self-conscious. I wondered if people would look at me strange or ask awkward questions. As I got ready that morning I wasn’t sure if I still wanted to go. I thought about staying home, but I realized that I had an opportunity to continue sharing good news happening on the South Side. So I went.

Popacorn_me

[I toured the new facility for Popacorn Popcorn Thursday. The owner, Micah Smothers, was great!]

I’m glad I went. I did receive questions, but they weren’t awkward. I received lots of love and hugs. Here I was reporting for free, for this little website I created at the last minute (I’m working on improving it). I wasn’t sure I would receive the same respect, but it was the opposite. People respected me that much more because I was doing something because I wanted to, not because I had to.

The rest of the first week went the same. I did another story. This time an exclusive with a local business. The source hugged me at the end and thanked me for still providing coverage in areas where not enough positive stories are told by the media.

Then today I covered the opening of a new South Side clinic. I stumbled at first when people asked who I was with. I hadn’t quite figured out what I wanted to say, but as I stood around and mingled afterwards, it became easier and easier to answer.

I  realized that for too long I’ve been attaching my name to different companies, most recently DNAinfo, for validation and respect. But no more. I’m sure I’ll end up reporting for another news organization again, but that name isn’t what makes me. People respect me because of who I am and the great work I produce. And if someone sticks their nose up at me because I say I’m currently an independent journalist and I’m not affiliated with a prestigious news outlet, oh well. I’m doing this for me. I’m doing this for the South Side.

You don’t expect a dog to stop barking or a cat to stop licking itself so don’t expect a reporter to stop writing. I’ve been doing this since high school. I did this through college. Before I became a freelancer, I contributed just to get my name out there. I got into this news game working for free because I had drive and passion. That didn’t die with DNAinfo. I don’t know how to stop finding stories. Honestly, they find me. And when they do, I can’t turn my back on them. I can’t turn my back on the people who have gotten used to checking their timelines or morning e-newsletter for my stories about their neighborhoods. Reporting is in my blood. I can’t just stop. Sorry.

100 thoughts on “Here’s How I Survived My First Week As An Unemployed Reporter”

  2. Keep sharing your passion through these posts. They are more inspiring than you know. No layoff can keep a good reporter down. This past week proved once and for all that you can survive any thing, you can conquer anything. This is just the beginning. We are all excited to see what’s next, I know I am!

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  3. Andrea you Rock! I love your spirit! You have inspired me!, and yes you are right, you are doing evidently what you LOVE…so it isn’t really work, it us what drives you, your passion! One door closes a new and improved one opens! Please keep going! Routing for you, as long as I can I will continue to read your writings…
    Hey Andrea…is it time for a book! Love your story…❤

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  7. Even experiences we wish we could avoid give us new perspectives, and that’s invaluable for a reporter. Write and report because you love it. Pursue the stories you want to write and cover them the way you think they should be covered. Independence, fortitude and commitment to journalism cannot be measured but can be displayed from a wide variety of vantage points. The business is cruel at times. But if it’s in your blood, it’s there to stay. Go with this development and use it to help you discover more through your work, and to be discovered by more people in your field. Love your spirit and it will serve you well down the line.

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  11. Hi Andrea! I stumbled across your blog post on the WordPress home page and I found it to be very inspiring. Although I was not working in my “dream” field of interest, I was laid off from a job that I really enjoyed and hoped to stay while I work on building my business.

    I bake desserts, share recipes, paint, and sometimes teach private paint parties. I share much of this on my site and on Instagram (links are below if you’d like to join my journey). I am looking for employment, however, I have a deeper desire to continue doing what I love. Please keep writing and sharing your story. You owe it to no one else but yourself to do what you love. Everyone else (or your next career opportunity) will just have to catch up… and you will be even more valuable.

    Wishing you the best in your next phase.

    Yasmin
    http://www.bloomingaugust.com
    Instagram – @HelloBloomingAugust

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  14. Thank you for this inspiration! As someone trying to transition my writing to another arena, it’s nice to read of other writers optimistic about their opportunities ahead, especially when facing a challenging situation like yours. All the best to you!

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  15. Andrea:

    Continued success to you in your writing, in life, and in your quest to share the stories that matter to people in, around, and in support of the community. Your vigor is inspirational, and contagious.

    God bless!

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  17. Great article – thanks for sharing. That is one of the pitfalls of writing in the digital world. I learned the hard way and thought I had safely saved my articles, only to have 2 digital sources disappear. Anyway, glad you started your site so know you can create the library of your work…..that belongs to YOU!!!

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  18. Pingback: Here’s How I Survived My First Week As An Unemployed Reporter — Andrea V. Watson – freshlookmedia

  19. Wow. I really love this. As an older person who has been in and out of journalism, I can really resonate with your story. I have been working in community development for the past eight years and believe there is a real need for grass roots reporting. Many of the larger media companies are swallowing up smaller outlets and so stories are not being told. Go girl. This is when the internet especially blogging can be used for good and provide a service/product the public wants.

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