The PJ Mantra
This summer during my internship I adopted a daily phrase, “O’ the people I meet.” It never failed me. Not a day went by when I didn’t meet someone who completely shocked me. Some made me sad, some made me a little scared, and the rest just made me chuckle.
The A Photo a Day blog (which is my homepage by the way) has a great photojournalist mantra post:
I don’t want to work for an industry that is content with the status quo.
I don’t want to work for an industry that is afraid of innovation.
I don’t want to work for an industry that blames its readers when things go bad.
I don’t want to work for an industry that is scared of risk — and success.
I don’t want to work for an industry that is scared of change.
I don’t want to work for an industry that is afraid to have a conversation with its users.
I don’t want to work for an industry that is content to die.
I want to work for an industry that believes in its audience.
I want to work for an industry that can admit it was wrong.
I want to work for an industry that has the audacity to innovate.
I want to work for an industry that always wants to improve, even when it’s on top.
I want to work for an industry that always strives to be the best.
I want to work for an industry that believes there is no such thing as good enough.
I want to work for an industry that puts innovation first.
If this is the last stand for the American Newspaper, I don’t want to go out without a fight. I want to shatter paradigms, destroy cherished icons and push the envelop of innovation. And if all those efforts fail, I want try again.
I don’t want to admit defeat without at least trying. If I lose, I want it to be because I had nothing left to give. I don’t want to lose because I decided it was too hard to win.
I want the audacity of ambition — and innovation.
[Cross Posted from The Journalism Iconoclast]