Post Traumatic Press Disorder
Posted: 01/20/2010 | By: Administrator
At some point in 2009 we realized that we had said one too many times, “Holy crap, did you hear, so-and-so magazine is closing!” I think the tipping point was when the media giant Conde Nast dropped the bomb that Gourmet, Elegant Bride, Modern Bride and Cookie were all closing. We just couldn’t fathom it.
While in my brain I understand that times are changing, ad sales are down and things are moving online more and more, I still couldn’t comprehend hundreds of fabulous editors, photographers and writers that we’ve worked with for years finding themselves unemployed.
As the layoff announcements continued to roll in - AP, NY Times, Forbes, etc. – we discussed internally what could only be described as an epidemic, which is when we came upon a name for it - POST TRAUMATIC PRESS DISORDER (PTPD).
How do you know if you’re a victim of PTPD? Well, have you found yourself on the job market and/or freelancing after time spent on staff at a now defunct, downsized or otherwise closed magazine, newspaper, website or similar industry outlet? If so, look for these symptoms: launching your own blog to appease your desire to just write (no matter who’s reading); creating a personal website touting your clips and writing capabilities as you seek new job opportunities, most of which you’re overqualified for; endless hours spent at Starbucks sipping overpriced coffee and using the free wifi; finding that your friends are ‘unfriending’ you on Facebook due to your over zealous status updates with your new found free time; an urgent need to make connections resulting in your becoming not only an avid Twitterer, but your LinkedIn contacts have doubled and you’re the mayor of something on FourSquare.
If you’re suffering from two or more of these symptoms, PTPD might be your diagnosis.
With this epidemic sweeping the nation, the sentiment in our office was unanimous – there has to be a way that we can support our friends in the industry who have tirelessly supported us on behalf of our clients. A treatment, if not a cure. Lo and behold, the ‘Post Traumatic Press Disorder’ Press Trip was born.
While writers across all organizations and beats are showing signs of PTPD, we are experts in the travel arena and knew a way to appease the symptoms of PTPD for this group – get them out of town, literally. And so, tomorrow we will board a plane to Puerto Rico with five former magazine/website travel writers and editors and be hosted by the fabulous San Juan Marriott for a four day/three night trip designed specifically for the writer suffering from PTPD. You can be rest assured there will be tipsy tweeting and buzzed blogging going on - and who knows, perhaps even some inspiration for their next literary masterpiece.
Perhaps this PTPD press trip participant said it best, “I felt totally alone and unappreciated until I found out that the symptoms I was experiencing - the urge to write but nowhere to publish, a yearning to travel but no press trips to take - were shared by others and had a catchy sounding name: PTPD. And once diagnosed, I wasted no time in saying yes to a surefire cure: a few days at the San Juan Marriott, where the therapy is sure to involve fun in the sun and, I suspect, a good deal of rum. I look forward to sharing this most generous cure with my fellow disenfranchised writers and to saying good riddance to PTPD once and for all.”
Amen.
(Stay tuned for updates on the trip and feel free to follow and/or use #PTPD as a hashtag to unite on Twitter when venting your own frustrations, thoughts and ideas when it comes to the state of publishing industry or your own PTPD symptoms).
written by Sporty D
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