… What does that mean for alts?

The American Journalism Review [AJR.org] recently posted an intriguing article about the dilemmas that many young journalists face in deciding upon a career in the “dying” medium of newspapers.

Among the main reasons for young journos’ woes?

Trautwein, like other young journalists I interviewed, find themselves torn by competing emotions. They love their jobs but fear [daily] newspapers are dinosaurs. They value what papers do but find them often dull, out of touch and sluggish. They respect older colleagues but are bewildered at things they don’t know. They have lots of ideas but limited power. And they have passion for their craft but are positioning themselves for a future that may leave newspapers behind.

- Caught in the Contradictions, by Carl Sessions Stepp

Stepp focuses his article on the under-30 staffers at the Charlotte Observer, the metro daily in North Carolina. But there’s some food for thought for alt staffers as well.

Some of the frustration felt by the under-30 crowd could be traced to the paper’s web presence:

“Managing Editor Cheryl Carpenter, 49, knows her young staff members would like to see even more energy flowing into the Web. But she is quick to show me a chart showing where the paper’s advertising revenue comes from — far more from print than online.”

So, how do alt-weeklies fare when it comes to creating long-term workplaces for young journalists? And what role does the Internet play in helping to sustain a young pool of talent?