We are all reading and hearing about the economic downturn. Most of us are aware of the slaughter in the media industry, where among other industries thousand of employees are getting laid off. We are also aware that the media is going through is changes as the more conventional sectors, print being the main one, are making the transition to the Internet and digital outlets.
Amid all the bad news, here is one story in the Los Angeles Times that I found inspiring. Lois Draegin is a 55-year-old former editor at TV Guide Magazine. Among the other thousands, Lois was laid off in the economic downturn and the sale of TV guide, a diminished icon that is also makign the transition to the Internet. Lois, if nothing else, is proactive.
Rather than sit around waiting for the economy or her industry to return, she decided to update her skills by interning at wowOwow.com, a relatively new website for knowledgeable and accomplished women who are forty and older. The website was founded by publishing maven Joni Evans, former President of Simon and Schuster. There are other brand names in publishing, news and media who are also listed as founders. In all, a good idea.
What makes it even a better idea is that Evans is actively recruiting others who have been laid off or downsized, pick your term, due to the decline of the media industry in this economic downturn. Evans appears not to be concerned about the age of her interns, only whether they have experience and the desire to learn. This way Evans gets a lot of talent for the buck, which holds down costs on a fledgling website. It’s a great system, and it is gratifying that Lois Draegin and others like her have a chance to upgrade their skill sets for the new age in media.
We are aware that more people are going back to school or otherwise retraining and learning new skill sets. Some are going back to the local colleges while others are taking classes online. Either way it shows resolve in the face of adversity.
As for Lois Draegin and WowOWow, we at Corra Group wish you the very best of luck.
Check them out before you hire.
