What would you do ?

[paulisphotoman]

Here's hypothetical situation, for those of us hit hard by the recession:

* You are offered a job as News Photographer in a medium market city, but lower money than expected, not great schedule, but it's work

* You are also offered a job in video production as Commercial Producer in a small city, same state, at high money and video production is your main love and it's work

Also, if you didn't like news and loved video production, but would like to live in a bigger city.
What would your choice be if offered both positions ?

[dhart]

Depends on your preference for "security". Of the two I would believe "news" would be the more stable. Production companies come and go. Check out that production company carefully before you take the job. Having said that, I left the news business early in my career and never looked back. But I was a young man with few responsibilities (no house and wife or kids).

[cyndygreen]

Agree with Dennis about status...if you are young, single there is less risk to family and others dependent on you. I always went for first love...news. Done big city and small city...kind of preferred the latter because I was in a bureau and got every big story that came along.
At this stage in my life I'm entrenched in my community so less likely to move.

[paulisphotoman]

OK, let me clarify some things;

I'm over 40, single, never married/no kids, but hope to find that woman for me, but I also know there's not much out there anymore.....

the video production position is at a TV station in their creative servies dept, not production company, so I know it's stable, the town is about 150,000, pay I think is mid-upper $30's.....

The news photographer position is in a much desired city to live, but the pay is lower $30's, Thurs-Mon schedule....I hated being on call with news, esp with murders and fatalities always happening overnight, seems like news is turning more into hard news ane chasing ambulances than just telling good stories, quantity or quality.....

My ultimate destination is neither city, but they are all in the same state......

[Lensmith]

Think about what your long term goal is.

Does this news job in the town with the lesser money set you up to feed into the place your really want to be five or ten years down the road?

It's up to you to make the final decision but listen to the advice DHart gives. It's good.

[paulisphotoman]

Both possible opportunities are in TX, Dallas/Ft Worth is where I want to be permanently.
I think either opportunity sets me up for a permanent move to DFW....

[2 Hungry Dogs]

More money in a smaller town in a production environment offers a much better quality of life. However 4 day weeks are pretty cool,

I am over 40, and the days of run and gun no longer interest me. There is a reality of how long you want to be out on the streets covering news. Commercial production is more attractive as you get older.

Most people who leave news for production are glad they did, but there is the occasional person who wants back in the news game. Doesn't sound like you are THAT type.

[paulisphotoman]

yes, going back into news is NOT something I'd do or pursue, since video production/creative services is much more of an attraction for me, but it's fulltime work in the state I want to live in....I worked for 10 yrs in video production and would love to get back into the game, since I worked for 3 yrs in news and tolerate it, since it's work....Since I'm over 40, that is a big consideration, since the city, Austin TX, is great for singles....The other city is much smaller (Tyler/Longview), but better money, schedule, creative, etc strangely enough.....I talk with TLV this week

[Tom Servo]

Neither one of those jobs pays nearly enough to do them unless you love doing them. Bearing that in mind, you love the higher-paying work, and "tolerate" the lower-paying work. This seems like a no-brainer to me, really, especially since I really don't think there's much in TV news to "set you up" for bigger and better jobs anymore. The bigger/better stations are paying crap wages just like the small stations are, and the job security isn't good either because at any moment the bosses might decide to go all, or mostly, VJ. It's not as though there's a secret club of 6-figure station photogs out there that you can break in to if you're only willing to work at sub-McDonalds wages for 15 years.

In short, if you don't *love* photojournalism, it's not worth it.

[BluesCam]

The production job for sure (for me). I've done both, prefer production.

[Cameradude]

Well, if you're single the news photographer job is the way to go.

Everyone knows how glamorous that job is, news cameramen are the fighter pilots of the cameraman world, and all the chicks dig the news cameraman, so it's a no brainer. Money and chicks!!!

[paulisphotoman]

Doesn't matter anymore, the TV station Commercial Production job was taken by an inhouse staff member at another station.....

Now, I'm still waiting to hear back from a station in Austin, TX to Longview, TX (where I have an interview) this week. Oddly enough, the money is better in Longview, so is schedule, but Austin IS Austin !!!