Making the leap to the business side

By Sarah Anderson
Reporter Staff

Crossing over to the “dark side” isn’t so bad, panelists told reporters toying with the idea of moving to the business side of the newspaper industry.

In the Friday afternoon session “How to Succeed in Business…: Exploring Greener Pastures” former journalists addressed questions about making the switch to business and about being out in what many believe is a more restrictive field.

“The more you get on the business side, the less gay people you’ll find,” said Craig Robinson, president and general manager of WCMH-TV, an NBC station in Columbus, Ohio. “That’s just something you have to be emotionally prepared for.”

Alan Flippen, production project manager for The New York Times, countered that there are just as many gay people on the other side of the newspaper; they just aren’t as open or organized.

But the panelists were mostly upbeat about making their career changes, and they encouraged attendees to find out more about the other departments at their news organizations.

“People really do love to talk about what they do,” Robinson said. “They will be more than happy, and I think surprised and flattered, that you want to know more about what they do.”

Nancy Lee, vice president of business development in the news services division of The New York Times, told the journalists not to shy away from a new career because of a lack of business training.

“On the business side, I found that people can’t help you fast enough,” she said, adding that she doesn’t miss the late-night phone calls or the competitive atmosphere of the newsroom.

“I feel like I have my life back,” she said.