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• Thursday, December 7, 2006 08:59 PM

  my two cents

  the truth is newspapers, the print version, are a dying breed. I used to be a journalist, and every month or so, we'd have meetings trying to figure out why circulation was going down, way down.

  We figured out that our readership was dying off and young uns' just weren't keen on buying newspapers, much less taking out subscriptions. We'd put in youth oriented stuff, and no one would read it because the target audience wasn't buying no matter what was in it. Those kids today! Anyway, I don't know what kind of journalism you want to get into so here's my advice on learning to ask the tough questions.

  Try it for awhile and see if it gets easier. There may always be some questions you feel uncomfortable asking. I remember blanching when my editor wanted me to call back a source and ask how much they made a year. Nice people in my family just didn't talk about money. But as others have pointed out, there are tough parts to any job.

  Please don't let being an introvert or being shy stop you. Most of the reporters at my former paper were introverts. Introverts can make good reporters because they actually prefer other people do the talking and know how to listen and not interrupt.

  If you do have an anxiety disorder, however, meds might help. You certainly don't have to take them forever.

  Good luck.

  —Been there
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