Media Exodus?

So with the election of a new Government the public saw what might be considered an exodus to a lesser extent of media personnel into politics. The move itself caused somewhat of an uproar with some claiming that the crème de la crème of the media was now sold into politics and by all means…their objectivity lost with the signing of new contracts…while others questioned the level of passion and dedication of local media personnel.

Thomas Carlyle in his book On Heroes and Hero Worship quoted Edmund Burke, the first man to apply it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons.:
“Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.”

Never were there truer words for if it were not for the Media, there would exist mere cobwebs linking the Parliament to the Public. For a profession whose importance has been acknowledged for centuries, there is very little you can know about the Media unless you’re in it.

So why do media workers leave a very noble profession for “greener” pastures? Local Journalist Paolo Kernanhan pretty much summed it up in his Guardian Skews article Unsubscribed Scribes dated Saturday, 18 September 2010. Kernahan noted a number of reasons why some of the best journalists vacate the media industry for what may be greener pastures, within the Government. He spoke of the clichéd poor working conditions, low salaries, the inconvenience of working weekends and public holidays and a lack of standards within the media industry.

He was also wise to note the self fulfillment gained from working in the Media, especially when your heart is in the right place. But are we looking at the big picture when we speak of a media exodus? Journalists leave the media all the time and not always for politics. I have known persons to vacate their posts for teaching, law, the private sector and the most popular the public service. Why is it that those journalists who cross over to politics receive harsher criticism for their decision?

A survey conducted by www.stuff.co.nz on Sunday 17th October 2010 asked:
If you could turn back time, would you choose a different career?


Yes-1454 votes, 71.7%

No- 573 votes, 28.3%

Total - 2027 votes





It says more than half of New Zealand's university-educated professionals would have chosen a different career if they could turn back the clock.

Meanwhile a career coaching website called Career Clarity gave 10 reasons as to why people may want to change their career.

1. I just fell into this job. It’s never really been what I want.

2. I’m bored. I’ve been doing this job for far too long, and there’s no challenge any more.

3. I’ve just finished studying and I want a career that uses my qualification.

4. I want to do something more meaningful to make a difference to people’s lives.

5. I’m fed up with scraping by. I need a career that will earn me more money.

6. I think I chose the wrong career, and I’m really unhappy doing what I’m doing.

7. I’ve been made redundant, and I want to find a career that is more stable and secure.

8. I’ve had a series of odd jobs, but I’d like a career with a proper professional career path that I can follow.

9. I’m fed up with working for someone else. I want a career where I can work for myself.

10. People say I’ve done really well for myself, but I still feel that there’s something missing. I feel that there should be more to life than this.


Maybe those persons who leave the media do so for personal reasons and for better jobs that can still benefit society. The fact remains that what may sometimes appear as a Media exodus can just be someone’s personal decision to change their career. Does it mean that their absence will create a vacuum for qualified and experienced persons and that standards may be affected? Hell yeh! But a Media exodus can also mean more opportunities for those persons willing to enter the Media and for those who really want to be there.