Here's a riddle. What's the difference between this set of Tweets.....
...and this one.
The answer? 30 years.
Rachel and Taylor are on on Scott's path. They are going to make $38,000 per year--only slightly higher than the starting wage at Target. In fact, when you factor in overtime, they make less than the starting wage at Target. Gannett is cutting their benefits; they have just experienced a humiliating and financially devastating furlough and there is a good chance that they will be laid off.
The worst part is that there is no hope for improvement. They may eventually get cost-of-living raises but they will be lucky to keep up with inflation. If they stay at Gannett they will make minimum wage for their entire career.
For what? Respect? Do you know anyone--other than journalists--who respects journalists? No. They are working for minimum wage for a lousy paper in a crappy company in a dying industry as part of a profession that most people despise. They also have to deal with guys like me...and I will be writing this blog from an assisted living facility when Rachel and Taylor's grand children are in high school.
I will say this to Rachel, Taylor and anyone under 50 who still works at the Republic. Get out now! Consider your time at the Republic to be a paid internship. You made $38,000 to learn the ropes, find out what a real job is like, start to establish a network and figure out what you are going to do for a living. Paid internships are great, but they are not careers.
If they jump now, Rachel and Taylor will be fine. They have plenty of time and eventually will have plenty of options.
Unfortunately Scott has no chance. He's living every 55 year old man's nightmare--it's certainly my nightmare. When I was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1990, I was 27. My friends gave me two pieces of advice:
Don't sacrifice your friends to pacify your enemies. That's good advice, but it's for another blog post.
The second piece of advice was this: Being a legislator is like being an umpire....it doesn't train you for anything.
Since then I have realized that there are a lot of jobs that are like umpires. You can have a career as a legislator, or you can make really good money running a complex machine that makes tires for Goodyear until that plant closes. Then you are 50 and starting over.
When Scott started at the Republic, it was a real job in a highly respected profession. I'm sure that he made pretty good money and assumed that he had job security. Now those jobs are disappearing.
What does a former sports writer do?
Work at Target.
It's sad, but it's true. Scott could have worked for a state agency, but he has disqualified himself with his toxic Twitter feed. He could try law. I went to law school at age 43, but my guess is that he's well over that age. He could sell real estate but there are a lot of former umpires doing that.
I have nothing against Scott. Like I said, he's living my nightmare, but I have no suggestions either.
Rachel and Taylor? I have plenty of suggestions. The first one is to use the next couple of weeks to find another job. If you need to get an MBA or JD, now is the time. The Republic is a trap. Get out now.