Is The New York Times’ newsroom just a bunch of Ivy Leaguers? (Kinda, sorta.)

[Anonymous]

Interesting essay outlining where NY Times staff attended for undergrad

https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/02/is-the-new-york-times-newsroom-just-a-bunch-of-ivy-leaguers-kinda-sorta/

[Anonymous]

You mean undergrad matters? Shocking. I was told that there was a college for everyone and that it didn't matter if a kid went to an ivy

[Anonymous]

Only independently wealthy people can afford to be journalists.

[Anonymous]

I'd like that data organized by age.

[Anonymous]

Makes total sense. The NYT can afford to be selective in who it hires, and as someone already pointed out, it’s those whose educations were paid for without loans who can float a journalists salary. It probably doesn’t hurt that Mommy or Daddy worked there, and that also means you can live at home at the start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Makes total sense. The NYT can afford to be selective in who it hires, and as someone already pointed out, it’s those whose educations were paid for without loans who can float a journalists salary. It probably doesn’t hurt that Mommy or Daddy worked there, and that also means you can live at home at the start.

Ding ding ding.

This is the key.

[Anonymous]

Yup, journalists, art gallery curators.... prestige jobs that require family wealth for you to have that job.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former journalist married to a current journalist. Most journalists are not independently wealthy, and most journalists make enough money to live. They're not getting rich, but a journalist with 20 years of experience at a major newspaper is making far more than a teacher with 20 years of experience.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that the NYT has a lot of Ivy Leaguers. Ivies all have highly regarded daily newspapers that give students a lot of great experience, and there are also strong alumni networks at papers like the NYT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mean undergrad matters? Shocking. I was told that there was a college for everyone and that it didn't matter if a kid went to an ivy

Of course the NYT is the only place that employs journalists

And there are only 8 investment banks.

Only 4 consulting firms.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former journalist married to a current journalist. Most journalists are not independently wealthy, and most journalists make enough money to live. They're not getting rich, but a journalist with 20 years of experience at a major newspaper is making far more than a teacher with 20 years of experience.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that the NYT has a lot of Ivy Leaguers. Ivies all have highly regarded daily newspapers that give students a lot of great experience, and there are also strong alumni networks at papers like the NYT.

I'm a current journalist married to a current journalist (both at publications you've heard of) with a clarification: A journalist with 20 years experience who has moved into editor ranks or management is making more than a teacher with 20 years of a experience. An experienced rank-and-file reporter still cranking out copy daily does not make more than teachers in this area. Nor do they have a pension.

The industry has been absolutely devastated by private equity. As someone noted above, journalism has become a profession for those with family money. This doesn't mean they can't be great journalists (hello, Ronan Farrow), but you need another means of support these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You mean undergrad matters? Shocking. I was told that there was a college for everyone and that it didn't matter if a kid went to an ivy

Of course the NYT is the only place that employs journalists

And there are only 8 investment banks.

Only 4 consulting firms.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

It's not all that different for top consulting firms either:

https://poetsandquants.com/2022/02/22/insider-insights-top-target-schools-for-mbb-consulting-firms/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You mean undergrad matters? Shocking. I was told that there was a college for everyone and that it didn't matter if a kid went to an ivy

Of course the NYT is the only place that employs journalists

And there are only 8 investment banks.

Only 4 consulting firms.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Fewer places employ journalists every year. The Times is one of the biggest. I'd be shocked if it's competitors looked any different

[Anonymous]

Great, now let's do family income growing up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former journalist married to a current journalist. Most journalists are not independently wealthy, and most journalists make enough money to live. They're not getting rich, but a journalist with 20 years of experience at a major newspaper is making far more than a teacher with 20 years of experience.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that the NYT has a lot of Ivy Leaguers. Ivies all have highly regarded daily newspapers that give students a lot of great experience, and there are also strong alumni networks at papers like the NYT.

Ok, now talk about what the 20 years before that looked like in terms of salary, working expectations/hours, and so on to get to that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former journalist married to a current journalist. Most journalists are not independently wealthy, and most journalists make enough money to live. They're not getting rich, but a journalist with 20 years of experience at a major newspaper is making far more than a teacher with 20 years of experience.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that the NYT has a lot of Ivy Leaguers. Ivies all have highly regarded daily newspapers that give students a lot of great experience, and there are also strong alumni networks at papers like the NYT.

I'm a current journalist married to a current journalist (both at publications you've heard of) with a clarification: A journalist with 20 years experience who has moved into editor ranks or management is making more than a teacher with 20 years of a experience. An experienced rank-and-file reporter still cranking out copy daily does not make more than teachers in this area. Nor do they have a pension.

The industry has been absolutely devastated by private equity. As someone noted above, journalism has become a profession for those with family money. This doesn't mean they can't be great journalists (hello, Ronan Farrow), but you need another means of support these days.

+1 I went to one of those Ivies mentioned in the article as a common feeder to the NY Times. I got a job offer from the NY Times after undergrad and turned it down for something more lucrative as I had large student loans at the time, but I always loved journalism and the NY Times and even 2 decades later, it's my big career regret and I wonder what path my career might have been... Middle class kids with lots of loans don't become journalists nearly as often as their 1%er peers.