Journalism. You could be forgiven for thinking that it's all interviewing celebrities, jet-setting, glitz and glamour, with a bohemian sense of one's 'art' thrown in for good measure. In reality however, this is far from the truth.
Pomp and pretence aside, the media is a notoriously competitive industry to enter. Journalism is a decent career path to take, yet often newly-qualified reporters find themselves drowning in a sea of anonymity. Whilst those who do get a foot wedged firmly in the door are lucky enough to reap the benefits, it's placing that elusive foot in the first place, which often proves so difficult. To make a ripple in the world of journalism, it is self-motivation and perseverance that makes a career. Experience is gold-dust to employers, so forging your own way forward is really the way to go.
One such success story is that of 28 year old Michelle Dhillon. Michelle left her lucrative career with Microsoft B2B Publishing in order to create her own online magazine, ng-magazine.com, which is an online entertainments guide and events diary for the city of Nottingham in the East Midlands in England. Having never really regarded journalism as a serious career path when she was younger, Michelle re-evaluated her choices after she realised that working in music events "just wasn't creative enough". Fast forward a few years and Michelle is the proud editor and director of ng-magazine.com, now just over a year old, having launched on the 31st of March 2007.
The site was an instant success and now receives over 500 000 hits each month. The target market was originally 18-30 year-olds in the ABC1 social bracket, the professional middle class, but it actually attracts an ambitiously large-scale audience that encompasses 15-50 year olds. As an online publication, the readership possibilities are limitless by its very nature. This in itself perhaps reflects the modern culture of new-media. As Michelle says, "Online journalism is definitely a major force to be reckoned with, and all other media forms from print to television and radio are recognising that." The website was never even meant for the internet; instead it was originally designed to be a print based publication. As Michelle explains, "I fell into it really as the website did so well and made so much more sense in terms of putting all content online, so I decided to concentrate on making it an online-only resource".
Renewed reputation
Not only did Michelle take on the task of creating a profitable, professional business, she also took on the unsavoury reputation of Nottingham, as the 'gun-crime capital' of the UK. ng-magazine.com was born in an attempt to overhaul this negative portrayal, via promotion of the city's diverse and vibrant culture: "I didn't agree that it was a city full of crime and little else. Yes, there is crime, but there is also a lively, buzzing entertainment scene that nobody can deny". For Michelle, ng-magazine.com was therefore more personal than merely making a name for herself. She also aimed to make a name for Nottingham, clearing its reputation and promoting instead a strong cultural scene. Michelle is a firm believer in the city and its potential, even comparing it to the entertainment capital, saying, "It's not quite Camden yet, but it could well be soon."
In May 2007, Michelle was nominated for a 'New Statesman New Media Award' in the category of Young Innovator, recognising her achievements with ng-magazine.com. Attracting awards is nothing new for her however. She admits, "After I was nominated for a few awards for my music journalism early on in my career as a journalist, I started to think that I may actually be good at this, so I decided to pursue it for myself and try and make money out of it." As a result the website has gone from strength to strength, providing coverage a lot faster and more fully than any competitors and even established media brands like the BBC and NME. With their reviews being hailed as 'a breath of fresh air' from supporters, visitors and sponsors alike, ng-magazine.com is certainly onto a good thing. Michelle encourages a subjective 'gonzo' style of journalism from her team, which she believes is linked to their success: "It's witty, insightful and addictive, and keeps our readers coming back".
Whilst ng-magazine.com is undoubtedly a resounding success, this does not mean that online journalism is for everyone. In fact journalism itself may not be. But the most important lesson as demonstrated by Michelle is that there is no harm in trying. Michelle's pearls of wisdom for aspiring young journalists are really to gain as much experience as possible, as "Reliability, enthusiasm and meeting deadlines are keyes to your future success as a journalist, so make sure you try and be all things to all people as you pursue your goals."
So, the moral of the story?
Yes journalism is competitive, yes it is demanding, requires tremendous amounts of hard work and often the patience of a saint, but as we can see from Michelle's story success comes to those who dare. As Michelle herself says, "It's daring and it's brave to take such a massive risk, but the site is getting bigger and better - The only regret I have is that I didn’t start working for myself sooner!".
