Journalism is totally in ... or something

There are so many new television shows coming out -- and already on --  about people in journalism (The Newsroom, The Millers, The Michael J. Fox Show, etc.). I wonder if any of them will cover the real-life issues of a dwindling and condensing workspace or if journalism is just one of those unique, in-the-open fields that are easily accessible as long as we're not talking about real life. I can't really vouch for The Newsroom, as I haven't seen it. But in my short Google plot search, I didn't unearth any layoff episode arcs.

Yes, I realize layoffs can happen in any field, but this is a very apparent reality in journalism right now. Is no one in Hollywood aware that journalists are not these golden news-reporters with stable jobs and decent wages?

Yes, I also realize that these shows aren't necessarily about the characters' jobs. Example: The Michael J. Fox Show is supposed to be about how the main character gets along with life while living with Parkinson's Disease.

I am admitting that this is not a very well-researched blog post. Maybe I will have time later to actually delve into this subject and come back with something more concrete. I'm just reading Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV Preview issue, and this really bothered me.

End soapbox. For now...

Some interesting links:
List of fictional journalists
Television shows about journalism



I'VE GOT TO DO THE NEWS!

Who's hungry?

I'm going to try and post one thing I've designed every week. Knowing me, it will probably last 3 weeks and then disappear. But I can dream, can't I?

Anyway, the clip I'd like to share is actually from last week. It's for the Shreveport Times. The centerpiece was about how all these chain restaurants keep popping up on a certain street in Shreveport. So instead of using the building shots provided by the paper, I got a little creative. With inspiration from Google Maps and vector logo help from BrandsoftheWorld.com, I created a more striking CP.

I learned things along the way, too! Like how to create feathered perspective shadows in Illustrator. It is done by adding a fill to an object (for example, the reddish pointer has a reddish fill, and the gray shadow fill, but it's the same shape), then skewing the gray fill to create a 3D effect. Pretty cool, eh?

Shreveport Times: August 25, 2013

Too bad the obnoxious ad at the bottom of the page takes all the spotlight....