Abdinz

The newsroom I once called home feels like a distant memory now. After more than eight years of chasing stories, meeting deadlines, and living the fast-paced life of a digital journalist, I found myself starting anew in New Zealand – not just as an immigrant, but as a refugee seeking safety and a fresh start.

I arrived with a portfolio full of published articles and a head full of dreams about joining New Zealand’s media landscape. But the reality I encountered was starkly different from my expectations. The industry I had dedicated my career to was undergoing its own transformation, and not necessarily for the better.

The signs were everywhere. The recent shutdown of a major news channel sent shockwaves through the journalism community, serving as a stark reminder of the industry’s fragility. Trust in mainstream media continues to erode, with more Kiwis turning to social media for their daily news fix. It’s a trend that mirrors the global shift in news consumption, but experiencing it firsthand as a journalist is particularly sobering.

For many of us who once thrived in traditional newsrooms, the writing is on the wall. Bills don’t wait for the industry to recover, and dreams don’t put food on the table. I’ve watched talented colleagues pivot to content marketing, corporate communications, and social media management. Some have completely reinvented themselves in entirely different fields.

I’m learning that being a journalist in 2024 means being adaptable. The skills that made us good reporters – curiosity, critical thinking, and the ability to tell compelling stories – are valuable in countless other contexts. I’m now exploring different platforms and formats, learning digital marketing, and discovering new ways to keep telling the stories that matter.

The irony isn’t lost on me: I came to New Zealand seeking stability, only to find my chosen profession in flux. But perhaps that’s the point. Just as I adapted to life in a new country, I’m adapting to a new way of practicing journalism. The newsroom may have changed, but the fundamental need for good storytelling hasn’t.

To my fellow journalists navigating similar waters: we’re not alone. Our industry isn’t dying; it’s evolving. And while this evolution may take us far from traditional newsrooms, it doesn’t make us any less journalists at heart. The stories still need to be told – we’re just finding new ways to tell them.

The path forward isn’t clear, but then again, the best stories rarely follow a predictable plot. For now, I’m embracing the uncertainty, armed with my notebook, my adaptability, and an unwavering belief that good journalism will always find its audience – even if it looks different than we imagined.