This article makes the point that "for aspiring journalists from low-income backgrounds, systemic industry barriers compound from the start." The descriptions of student journalists spoke to me, paralleling my own experience. "Editors at my university's independent newspaper work — voluntarily — anywhere from 40 to 50 hours per week, on top of classes." Except that at the Gauntlet, the University of Calgary paper where I worked, the editors were paid, which meant I could give up my weekend night shifts at 7-Eleven and work full time on campus. Many of the graduates from that newsroom ended up in Canada's professional media, but since I had student loans to pay, I couldn't afford to take an entry-level job in journalism. Still, every time I watch a journalist on TV opine about what is 'normal' or 'common' for people, I reflect that this represents a privileged point of view, and that despite what they say, most people aren't watching their stock portfolios, opening their cottages in the spring, or spending the winter in Florida.
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