Q & A

Question : How do I get a gig as an opinion writer?

Answer : You begin with a degree in journalism. Then, you spend a decade working your way from reporter to editor at podunk newspapers, moving your family every few years. You may get fired a time or two along the way if you’re too opinionated and the paper is timid (See: The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Hagadone Newspapers.) Then, you do some more bouncing, get stuck editting for a few years, and finally land on a paper that pays reporters a livable wage. Next, you can work for a decade as a government/investigative reporter, hoping after 23 years in the biz you can catch the editor’s eye for something better. Then, you blaze away for a dozen years, spouting about everything until you wonder if you have an original idea in your head. All this, or you simply begin a blog.