The Inbox....
/We got more emails about the FTVLive Vlog and our response to KVOA (Tucson) Reporter Austin Walker and his response to being the focus of a story here on FTVLive.
One email from a longtime news person makes a good point as to why we are seeing more kids like Walker in the industry.
We thought we would share that and a few others:
Email:
Hey sir
I've written, deleted and re-written this email about a dozen times.
Reporters who have been on the job for more than a heartbeat love to tell their war stories. We drove beat-up cars and lived in bad places because, in the beginning, this job is tough. I, too, started as a reporter in Tucson. I lived with two and sometimes three other dudes in a rundown shack. I worked second jobs, once at a Denny's. I told myself that taking orders and upselling helped my interview skills, but in reality, it was the only way to pay rent.
We wear this like a badge of honor. We made it. We paid our dues. I saw your video. You paid your dues. And we get upset when people don't have to go through that.
Last year, back when we still did field reporting, I was at an event at a hospital. Normal, run-of-the-mill press gaggle to fill time in the casts. This was during the summer intern season, and there was an intern tagging along with a TV reporter, toting around a Louis Vuitton bag.
I had the exact same reaction to that bag that you're having now to this kid's bimmer.
Our industry has changed. It's no longer a blue-collar, pack-your-lunchpail gig. And why is that? What changed? How did we get from what we experienced to golf villas?
I think this starts with the modern-day media leadership. When I started in media, I was an unpaid intern who worked 5 days a week, writing copy for a talk-radio morning show newscast. They were glad to have me, and honestly, it was more fun than my college J-school classes.
But here's the thing. While I don't come from the cash that skippy does, I had a supportive family who tossed me a bone when I needed it. Many, many, many talented people don't have that, so they don't get into journalism. You know who does? Skippy and his bimmer.
Modern-day media need to pay their interns and first-year reporters deserve respectable salaries.
I know that's a bitter pill to swallow for management, who have tight budgets, but it can be done. There needs to be newsroom equity for all. If first-year reporters earn a livable salary, we can get the diversity of voices that we crave.
If we continue on the current path of telling first-year reporters, "We can only pay you $18,000 BUT YOU GET TO BE ON TV!' then we get more and more people like Skippy and his Bimmer.
And nobody wants that.
DM:
I LOVED watching your vlog this morning - I was nodding my head through the entire video. I can’t believe some reporters would even THINK to flex their wealth like that. Disgusting, honestly. Especially during a pandemic. And 1% of newsies can relate to having a BMW and living in a damn golf villa. But his biggest oppression is being called out by FTVLive? Poor thing! An even bigger mistake was trying to take a stand against you. Everything you said is justified. Times are tough, thanks for giving me a good laugh! Proud to be a longtime reader and patron.
Email:
Scott,
You are a hero in my opinion for putting that entitled little snot rocket Austin Walker on blast for his "holier than thou" attitude and "Wah my life sucks because my Beemer got stuck" situation.
This little boy needs to wake up to the fact that the world he is reporting on has changed DRAMATICALLY thanks to COVID-19.
Now you want to start crying because the State Fair got canceled?
There are 135,000+ dead because of this virus and everything you've shown the world makes you look like a complete and utter prick. Maybe a trip to a state that right now is one of the three most vulnerable hotspots will humble you to stop the douchebaggery and get your ish in check.
