New York Post Drops Legendary Gossip Columnist

Associated Press file photo: Liz Smith

NEW YORK – The New York Post is dropping Liz Smith’s column this week to save money, leaving the legendary gossip columnist without a newspaper home in the city for the first time in 33 years. “I’m very sorry that that has come to an end, and that I wasn’t valuable enough for them to keep me on,” the 86-year-old Smith said Tuesday.

According to an Associated Press article, the Post simply couldn’t keep paying the “Dame of Dish”  $125,000 per year for her column. One would assume a column that has been a regular in the Murdoch-owned newspaper since 1991 would draw a consistent audience.

Perhaps the demographic has changed too much for that. Now with gossip media outlets like TMZ and Perez Hilton, who are not only free, but also provide videos and photographs and interactive media to include and engage their audience– people seem more likely to leave  legends like Smith (whose content is made up solely of text), and go to a more interactive environment.

Mindy McAdams knows her stuff…

One of Mindy McAdams’ recent blogs, “Advice for journalism students now,” was helpful and interesting – and echoed the thoughts of several Belmont journalism professors. Nothing was too shocking, but I was surprised to read this:

“Would you recommend that college students/recent grads become a freelancer — either as a way to get experience before becoming an employee, or to make a career of it?

1. Yes: 71 (provides experience/clips; gets your foot in door; proves yourself valuable to decision-makers for hiring)
2. Hedged response: 11 (difficult to make a living; not as a career; only as last resort)
3. No: 4 (difficult to make a living; cannot hire experienced writers in entry-level positions)

This set of answers is quite significant, and I hope that journalism professors (and others who advise young journalists) will pay attention. Out of 86 respondents, 71 said YES, they would recommend freelancing. That’s 82.5 percent.”

So maybe I’ll consider freelancing… For the rest of this particular blog, follow this link! http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/advice-for-journalism-students-now/

- Jessica Walker