I grew up in La Mirada, California, an LA County suburb with a scrappy little hometown paper called The Lamplighter. One of my childhood friends was the editor’s son. As a kid, I delivered that paper, riding around on my Schwinn, tossing rolled-up issues secured with fresh rubber bands. I was flinging the news onto porches, and it was my version of being a reporter in the field.
I didn’t know it then, but I had ink in my veins. So did others in our neighborhood group. One of my childhood friends became a reporter for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He and I were briefly on the same college newspaper. My journalism path took me through niche magazines, trade publications, local newspapers and ultimately the business press, including more than two decades as a reporter and editor covering venture and startups.
I still write. I still interview. I still try to dig into stories and report on what no one else covers. Just in a slightly different way: through my newsletter, two podcasts, client work and LinkedIn posts.
That storytelling instinct hasn’t changed, but the world of journalism around me certainly has.
Business Insider and TechCrunch each recently announced major layoffs. Business Insider cut 21% of its staff as it pivots to AI and live events, while TechCrunch also made cuts (including letting go of 10 people in its European division) amid changes under new private equity ownership. These moves are part of a broader wave of newsroom shrinkage, driven by shifting ad dollars and evolving reader habits in the digital age.
Lately, people keep asking me what I think about the latest wave of media layoffs. I’ve seen the chatter on LinkedIn, too, and it’s what sparked this post.
Layoffs aren’t new. I’ve gone through a few. But it feels like we’ve crossed a line, and not just in staffing, but in how journalism is viewed. People still want news, but how they get it has changed. The business model keeps slipping, and AI is accelerating the changes. Meanwhile, brands are building their own newsrooms, and non-traditional media outlets — including independent journalists like yours truly — are on the rise.
Yes, I’ve adapted. These days, I provide content development, media training and other communications work for founders and investors. I’m currently consulting for an AI-focused venture firm on their upcoming fundraising announcement, and I just wrapped a pitch deck project for an agency client. It’s still storytelling. But I’d be lying if I said it’s the same as the newsroom vibe and chasing scoops.
What keeps me going is the same thing that got me started: curiosity, Clarity, the belief that telling stories matter. And the feeling I had as a kid, tossing newspapers onto porches like the news meant something.
I think a lot about identity now. I call myself an independent journalist, as well as a consultant for hire. Not sure I need to pick one lane and stay in it. Maybe that’s the wrong question.
Look at Vera Wang. She wanted to be an Olympic figure skater. Spent years as a magazine editor. When she got tired of being passed over for the top EIC job, she reinvented herself — not in her 20s, but after 40 — as a world-renowned fashion designer.
Reinvention isn’t just possible. It’s the point.
So yes, I’m a journalist. I just wear a few other hats.
If you’re feeling stuck, in between, or navigating a shift of your own, I get it. Reach out. I’d Love to hear how you’re navigating change in your own field. Comment below or email me. I’m happy to talk. Sometimes it helps to connect with someone else who’s figuring it out, too.
Some things are hard to shake, especially when you’ve got ink in your veins.
Illustration generated with the help of ChatGPT.
